No Need To Say Goodbye
by Light Blue Walls
Summary: A series of one-shots following the lives and friendships of Harry Potter, Fred and George Weasley, Alicia Spinnet, Angelina Johnson, Katie Bell, and Oliver Wood. Unofficial Fanfiction100.
1. Beginnings

**Hello everyone. Sorry to be obnoxious, but I was feeling down about the lack of response this FF100 has been getting (and I'm still having horrible writer's block), so I've decided to consolidate all of my one-shots into one story (I am slightly OCD and so many of my stories are out of order and have extended plot lines). If the response to this is good, I'll try to break through the writer's block. If not, I'll probably ditch this. **

**So please, please tell me if I should continue or not! Thank you! =)**

**Now, please, enjoy!**

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Title: Beginnings  
Main characters: Fred, Katie, George  
Pairings: None  
Quote: A good friend would bail you out of jail, but a true friend would be sitting next to you saying, "That was AWESOME!" –Unknown

**_Beginnings_**

Katie didn't really know the Weasley twins. She knew _who _they were – everyone did. They were the troublemakers of Gryffindor, the redheaded demons that plagued the nightmares of teachers, the best bloody beaters she had ever seen. Granted, she had never seen any other beaters besides the ones from the other house teams, being a muggleborn first year, but they still amazed her.

So when she was caught in the middle of one of their pranks-gone-wrong, Merlin knows why she reacted the way she did. Maybe she had finally lost it. Her mum had always thought Katie belonged in a nut house; perhaps she was right.

The Gryffindor-Slytherin match was approaching and the tension between the two houses was at an all-time high, so much that the first years were repeatedly advised not to wander alone. Charlie Weasley, team seeker, had already been put into the hospital wing by a group of Slytherins, and Angelina Johnson, a second-year chaser, had been knocked down in the hallway by a nasty-looking boy named Marcus Flint. The Gryffindors were looking for revenge, and the twins were more than happy to do the job.

It was a sunny Monday morning, a week from the big Gryffindor-Slytherin quidditch match. Katie was walking down to lunch, where she was meeting Leanne and Cormac, when she heard shouting. She turned a corner to find the twins doubled-over in laughter as Marcus Flint and some other Slytherin boy dangled by their ankles from the ceiling, their underwear pulled over their heads in super-wedgies. Katie stared in amazement, mouth wide.

"Help! Help! Damn it, when I find out who did this, I will _murder_ you!" Flint shouted, trying to unhook his underwear from his head. The other boy just flailed around, whimpering.

Katie laughed, alerting the twins to her presence. Before they could say anything, though, Professor McGonagall walked around the corner, eyes as big as dinner plates.

"Mr. Weasley!" She shouted, addressing them both. "I suppose _this_," she jabbed her finger at the two boys, who were still whimpering in pain, "is your doing? I thought I made it clear last time that one more deliberate attempt to dehibilitate a member of the Slytherin team would result in immediate suspension from Quidditch."

The boys paled, and Katie gasped. Suspension? No! Not the twins! Mustering up her Gryffindor pride, Katie stepped in front of McGonagall, fists clenched.

"No, Professor, it was me. Fred and George came to stop me, so I wouldn't get in trouble, but I wouldn't listen to them." McGonagall stared in shock, glancing at the twins in disbelief. "I just wanted revenge, 'cause this oaf-" she jabbed her thumb towards Flint. "Tried to hurt Angelina Johnson." Katie crossed her arms, waiting for McGonagall's fury.

"Well, Ms. Bell, that's two week's worth of detentions for you and twenty points from Gryffindor. I expected more from you." Katie hung her head, trying hard to fight a smile. Her plan had worked! "As for you two," she looked at the twins, eyes narrowed. "Consider yourselves lucky you have a friend like Ms. Bell to cover for you. You better win that game."

The twins watched, mouths open in shock, as McGonagall let the boys down and escorted them to the Hospital Wing. As the three left, Fred and George turned to look at Katie, still in shock.

She didn't notice their gazes, and walked off, absolutely starving at this point. She hoped Leanne and Cormac were still there, so she wouldn't have to eat alone. Of course, Oliver Wood might be there, and she always enjoyed the chance to pester the fourth year.

"Hey! Hey wait up!" She felt two bodies come up on either side of her, one taking her bag, the other slinging his arm around her shoulder.

"Er, hello," she said, biting her lip.

"What'd you say your name was again?"

"Katie Bell."

"And you're a first year?"

"Yes."

"And you just saved our arses," The one on her right said.

"Without even knowing us?" The one on the left finished.

"Yes?"

"You're insane!"

"Completely mental!"

"Totally bonkers!"

She huffed, crossing her arms. "Well, sorry for saving you, then, if I'm so crazy. I just want Gryffindor to win, and they can't without their beaters."

Fred and George exchanged a look, the turned to face her.

"We like insanity."

"People always tell us we belong in an asylum."

"Probably do."

"As do you."

"Hey, Gred, that rhymed!"

"So it did, Forge. So it did."

"We like you, Katie," Forge said, grinning deviously.

"Er, thanks?" She said, unsure of what to say.

"Come sit with us at lunch. We assume that's where you are headed?" Gred said, hoisting her bag up on his shoulder.

"Oh, okay. Yeah, it is."

Ten minutes later and Katie found herself squashed between Angelina Johnson and Fred Weasley. George, Lee Jordan, and some girl named Alicia sat across from them, laughing hysterically. They kept high-fiving her and slapping her on the back, discussing the game and how McGonagall's detentions weren't all that bad.

"YOU!" A gruff shout sounded across the Great Hall. Marcus flint and his posse of thugs made their way towards Katie, an evil gleam in their eyes.

Katie turned, mustering up her courage again. Being a Gryffindor was hard work, she decided.

"Who, me?" She asked, feigning a look of innocence. The older boys stopped in front of her, cracking their knuckles menacingly.

"Shut it, midget. You're going to _pay_ for what you did to us." She stood up, poking Flint in the chest.

"Oh, really?" He grabbed her by the front of her robes, forgetting that she was A) A first year B) A girl and C) Sitting with the Weasley twins. As quickly as he touched her he was flung to the ground by Angelina and Fred, while George, Lee, and Alicia drew their wands, pointing them at the rest of the posse.

Fred crouched next to Flint, sticking his wand between the troll-like boy's eyes. "Listen to me," he whispered dangerously, blue eyes filled with anger. "If you ever, _ever_ lay a finger on her again, I will personally send you to St. Mungo's in a body-bag, you hear? Now, pick your fat ass off the ground and walk away."

Flint scowled, but obeyed. The rest of the posse glowered at the Gryffindors, but walked away as well. The Gryffindors sat down, fuming but triumphant.

"Merlin, Katie," George said, shoving a piece of bread into his mouth. "You've got guts. Absolutely no sanity-"

"None at all," Angelina added.

"Completely mental," Lee and Alicia said in unison, smiling.

"But then again, who among us _does_?" Fred finished, giving the others a pointed look.

Angelina patted her back. "Welcome to insanity club, Katie."

Katie looked around the table, eyes lingering on Fred and George. She smiled, biting into her sandwich. This was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

**Not my best, I apologize, but please, please review!**


	2. Red

Title: Red  
Main Characters: Fred, George, Oliver, Harry(sort of)  
Pairings: Oliver/Katie, if you squint  
Quote: "We never forgive those who make us blush." -Jean-Francois De La Harpe

_**Red**_

"Oi! Oliver! What's that?"

Oliver looked at the spot of ground that Fred Weasley was pointing to, where something dark red and lacy lay at his feet.

"It fell out of your locker," Harry said, pulling a shirt on over his head. Oliver picked it up, holding it up to the light.

"It's…it's a bra…" Oliver trailed off, suddenly very aware of Fred and George's presence. His cheeks heated up as they swooped in, evil grins on their faces.

"Oh, is it now?" Fred grabbed the garment from Oliver's hand, studying it carefully.

"Is it yours, Ollie, dear?" George asked, doing a perfect imitation of his mother. Harry laughed quietly, tying his shoelaces.

"Of course not! I don't have any idea how that got into my locker!" He said, face flushing.

"He's right, it's too seductive for Oliver. He probably prefers sports bras," Fred leaned in, mock whispering. "You know, for the extra support."

Harry and the twins burst out laughing, while Oliver steadily grew angrier. "Shut it! It's not mine! I don't know who's it is or how it got in my locker, okay?"

The boys sniggered, and George took the bra from his brother, examining it closely.

"Can't remember that night, eh, Wood? Too much firewhisky?" Fred nudged the older boy in ribs, grinning. "Was she pretty, at least? Or is that night too much of a blur for you?"

Oliver scowled, shoving the ginger demon away. "Stop making things up, Weasley. There was no girl."

George let out a yelp of a laugh, then fell against the lockers, cracking up. "I don't think Katie would appreciate the fact that you obviously don't consider her a girl, then."

Harry guffawed, looking over George's shoulder. "You can't be serious! Katie Bell? Ha!"

Fred slapped Oliver on the back. "Nice catch, Oh, Captain of mine! Bit young, though, don't you think?"

Oliver's eyes bugged as he snatched the lacy undergarment from George's hand, searching for the tag desperately. And sure enough, there on the little white tag, was written: K. BELL.

"Oh, my…" Oliver's face turned as red as the bra in his hands, which he quickly dropped to the ground. "I swear, there is _nothing_ going on between me and Katie. And we certainly never…I mean, not that she's not pretty or anything…I mean, no, I would never consider…she's one of my chasers! I couldn't! No! Never!"

The three boys fell to the ground in a laughing fir as Oliver ran from the locker room, shirtless and dripping wet from his shower. From their position in the doorway of the girls locker room, Angelina, Alicia, and Katie all laughed hysterically at the sight of their captain running around like a maniac.

"Remind me to give Harry a huge kiss later for planting the bra in Wood's locker for us," Alicia said, wiping a tear from her eye.

Angelina nodded, still heaving with laughter. "No one would ever suspect Harry to be so devious. Bless that boy."

Katie smiled, admiring the sight of a shirtless Oliver Wood. "I'm glad that bra my cousin gave me finally had a use. It's been sitting at the bottom of my trunk for months now."

Finally, Oliver seemed to collapse in the middle of the field, obviously scarred for life. Katie chuckled, then went to fetch him. Angelina cracked her knuckles, grinning widely.

"That'll teach him to have five a.m. practices on a Saturday."

**Short, but sweet(?). Review pleeease!**


	3. Lovers

Title: Lovers  
Main Characters: Katie, Angelina, Fred, and George  
Pairings: Alicia/Harry(WTF?)

**_Lovers_**

"Fred, George. Have you seen Harry?" Hermione Granger asked, blocking the twins' view of the rest of the common room. George shook his head, while Fred scowled, upset that his indiscreet viewing of Angelina Johnson had been so rudely interrupted.

"No. Now, if you don't mind, bugger off! I'm very busy here," he said gruffly, trying to peer around Granger's legs.

"But, Fred!" He vaguely wondered how she managed to tell him and George apart. "It's getting dark and I'm worried about Harry! You know he shouldn't be alone, not with Sirius Black on the loose."

"I'm sure he's fine. Probably with Ron, off causing trouble," George waved his hand dismissively, turning back to his Charms essay. Hermione huffed.

"Well, that's just it! Ron has detention with Filch right now and I can't find Harry _anywhere_. And I _know_ about that map you gave him…" The twins exchanged devious looks, infuriating the third-year even more. "If Black gets to him because he snuck out using that map of yours, I will personally make sure the Dementors give you both a little kiss."

The ice in her voice caused both boys to pale a little. The Dementor's Kiss was not something people joked about. Hermione was dead serious.

"Honestly, Granger, Harry's smarter than that. I think," Fred said quietly, all thoughts of Angelina banished from his mind.

"I'll bet he's just off brooding like the whiny prepubescent boy he is," George added quickly, adopting what he thought was a reassuring face. Hermione did not look reassured.

"I guess I'll go check the library," she said quietly, biting her lip. The twins nodded, watching in silence as she walked away.

"He's probably in the library, don't you think?" Fred said after a moment, turning his eyes back to Angelina.

"No doubt, really. Granger is a bad influence on him." George agreed, adding a sentence to his essay. Just as he set down his quill, finally done with the blasted thing, Katie came running down the stairs.

"Angie! Angie!" She called, running over to Angelina, who looked up from her book. "Angie! Do you know where Alicia went?"

The older girl shook her head. "Nope. I've been too busy being watched by Fred." The two girls turned to look at the twin, who just grinned cheekily at them both.

"It's only because you're so beautiful, my little Angel!" He called, hands over his heart.

Katie laughed and Angelina rolled her eyes. "Anyways," the younger girl continued, holding up a piece of parchment. "I found this on her bed. It's oddly vague and I really need her help with potions!"

Angelina studied it, then frowned slightly. "_Gone off to follow where my heart leads me. Don't worry about me – I'm absolutely fine. Better than fine, actually. I love you all so much, but I have to do this. –Alicia_," she read, eyes widening. "What the Hell is that supposed to mean?"

The twins exchanged a look, then scrambled over to where the girls stood, snatching the paper from Angelina's hand.

"_Where my heart leads me_? What does that mean?" George wondered out loud, panic slowly enveloping him.

"You don't think…? Nah, it couldn't be," Fred muttered softly, shaking his head. Before the others could ask, Hermione reappeared in the common room, looking like she was about to fall apart with worry. Ron was with her now, rubbing her shoulder reassuringly.

"Fred, George, he didn't come in while I was gone, did he?" Hermione asked, wringing her hands together. The twins shook their heads slowly, turning back to the parchment. Ron read over their shoulders, brows furrowing.

"I think I saw something like that on Harry's bed before I left. I didn't have time to read it, but I assumed it was a love letter to Cho or something embarrassing." Hermione looked like she was going to murder Ron for forgetting to tell her such vital information, and sprinted up the steps to the boys' dormitories, youngest Weasley son on her tail.

"Or could it?" Fred whispered, eyes wide. The others turned to him, eyes begging for an answer.

"What? What are you thinking?" Katie asked, snatching the parchment again. Fred looked down, looking like he torn between laughing and panicking.

"Well…maybe…Alicia is with Harry…?" He said slowly, a bit unsure. "You know, never mind. It's a stupid idea."

"Why would Alicia be with Harry?" Angelina asked, curiously. Katie gasped, understanding Fred's words.

"You don't really think that, do you, Fred?" She asked, scanning the letter again. "But she's – they're so young! Too young!"

Fred shrugged, and George and Angelina grabbed Fred's shoulders. "What? What are you saying?"

"FRED! GEORGE! Look at this note Harry left!" Hermione raced down the stairs, nearly tripping in her hurry. Ron grabbed her arm, catching her before she hit the ground. Unperturbed, she raced over to the twins, shoving the paper in their hands.

"_Gone off to follow where my heart leads me,_" George read, swallowing.

"What does that _mean_?" Angelina practically shouted, clasping her hands together.

"_Ron, Hermione, don't worry about me. I'll be safe with Alicia. You guys mean the world to me, but I have to do this. –Harry_." The group fell silent, gaping at the crumpled parchment.

"You mean they're…runaway lovers?" Ron said slowly, running a hand through his hair. Hermione and Angelina gasped, and George looked murderous.

"Why would they run away, though? Unless they're…eloping…" Katie said, instantly regretting her words.

"WHAT?" The group screamed, causing the common room to stare in silence.

"WE HAVE TO FIND THEM!"

"IT'S NOT SAFE WITH BLACK ON THE LOOSE!"

"THEY'RE TOO YOUNG!"

"MERLIN, THIS IS INSANITY!"

"THEY'VE ABSOLUTELY LOST IT!"

Without warning, George and Angelina raced through the portrait hole, Katie and Fred on their tails. Hermione and Ron stood dumbfounded, unsure whether or not they should follow.

They raced through the building, shouting frantically for the couple. Unperturbed by the thought of getting caught out of bed, the group sprinted out the oak doors, onto the twilight-lit grounds.

"HARRY!"

"ALICIA!"

"COME BACK TO US!"

"WE ACCEPT YOUR RELATIONSHIP!"

"DON'T BE ASHAMED OF YOUR LOVE!"

The Quidditch players ran rampant past the lake, towards Hagrid's hut. They would spend the night searching, until McGonagall found them, robe on, temperament short. And from up above, sitting on the balcony of the astronomy tower, Harry and Alicia laughed until tears ran down their faces.

"Thanks for helping me out, Harry. I really needed some payback since those idiots got me a week's worth of detention with Snape," Alicia said, leaning against the railing.

He smiled, adding a sentence to his Transfiguration homework. "No problem. I just hope Hermione doesn't have a panic attack."

Alicia laughed in agreement, then started playing with his invisibility cloak. "This thing is so cool! No wonder you never get caught out of bed. I'll bet the twins would _kill_ for one of these."

Harry nodded. "Which is why you're not going to tell them about it, _right_?"

She laughed, sticking her head out from behind the cloak. "Of course not. Though I _might_ have to borrow this to pull something on Wood. He seems to be missing out in this adventure."

They both laughed again, then fell silent. After a moment, Harry set down his finished homework, stretching, then turned to Alicia. "Do you think they _really_ believed we ran away together? I mean, with the vagueness of our notes, is that _really_ the first thing that came to their minds?"

Alicia rolled her eyes, wrapping the cloak around her so Harry was talking to a floating head. "They've all had too much sugar and not enough sleep this week. Honestly, Harry, you're cute, but not my type."

Harry blushed, then replied, cheekily, "That would be George, wouldn't it?"

The older girl's face turned red, and she looked away, giggling a bit. "That doesn't matter at the moment. What matters is that our friends are running around the school grounds like maniacs, shouting for us to be true to our love and come home."

Harry grinned, and the two turned to watch the group below get scolded by a pajama-clad Professor McGonagall.

"Lovers, indeed. Those morons."


	4. Lightening

Title: Enemies  
Characters: Angelina  
Pairings: Angelina/Fred  
Quote: "Jealousy is a tiger that tears not only its prey but also its own raging heart" -Unknown

**_Enemies_**

Angelina Johnson hated Katie Bell.

Alright, that wasn't quite true. Katie was a good friend, and Angelina knew it. She loved the girl like a sister.

She hated the fact that she hated her.

It was all Fred Weasley's fault, really. He made her hate Katie. It was all his fault, and so she hated him, too.

She hated how he made her feel – all fuzzy and warm and uncertain. He made her giggle – _giggle – _about stupid things, things the old Angelina would have scoffed at. And one wink from those gorgeous blue eyes was enough to send a treacherous heat across her face, crawling up the back of her neck.

She hated how he flirted with her. He flirted with _everyone_; Alicia, _Katie_, Leanne, Hermione Granger, Lavender Brown, that leggy blonde from Hufflepuff, just to name a few. Angelina hated that he treated her like all the others. And yet, she didn't react like the others. Every seductive raise of the eyebrows, every slight innuendo in his words carried into her daydreams, until all she could see during History of Magic was a pair of laughing blue eyes and that soft, brilliantly-colored hair.

She even hated his pranks. How he would let others in on the fun – George, of course, Lee, Katie, Alicia, Harry – but not her. He never warned her not to eat the eggs after he spiked them, or to avoid Snape's wrath after his robes had been turned pink. No, she was never special enough to help him out, or even laugh with him while the Slytherin students sprouted canary feathers. No, she was just another background character in his plots, another face in the entertained crowd.

But what she hated him for the most, was making Katie Bell her enemy. Of course, Katie had no idea. How was she supposed to know that Angelina had been pining after Fred since second year? The only people who knew were Alicia and Oliver Wood, though he pretending like he had never overheard that conversation.

She hated how close Katie and Fred were. After George, Bell was the ginger's best friend. She was in on their pranks the majority of the time, even more than Lee Jordan, George's best friend. Katie and Fred had been known to fall asleep together in the armchair in front of the fire after Wood's grueling evening practices, ignoring how gross and sweaty they were. She went to The Burrow every summer for a week, and had earned the nickname, "The Third Weasley Twin," or even, "The Other Weasley Daughter." She was a major part of Fred's life, and Angelina hated that.

Angelina also hated that no matter what, she would never be as close to Fred as Katie was. She would always be a friend, nothing more. She would never steal the title of "Best Friend" from Katie, and would never earn the title of "Fred Weasley's Girlfriend."

She was just Angelina, and she absolutely hated it.

She hated that she hated so many things, hated how confused and hurt she was, and hated that she resented someone for having a best friend.

But she knew that the hate in her heart would never die, so she accepted the fact that Katie Bell, one of her good friends and teammate, was, in fact, her enemy.


	5. Enemies

Title: Enemies  
Characters: Angelina  
Pairings: Angelina/Fred  
Quote: "Jealousy is a tiger that tears not only its prey but also its own raging heart" -Unknown

**_Enemies_**

Angelina Johnson hated Katie Bell.

Alright, that wasn't quite true. Katie was a good friend, and Angelina knew it. She loved the girl like a sister.

She hated the fact that she hated her.

It was all Fred Weasley's fault, really. He made her hate Katie. It was all his fault, and so she hated him, too.

She hated how he made her feel – all fuzzy and warm and uncertain. He made her giggle – _giggle – _about stupid things, things the old Angelina would have scoffed at. And one wink from those gorgeous blue eyes was enough to send a treacherous heat across her face, crawling up the back of her neck.

She hated how he flirted with her. He flirted with _everyone_; Alicia, _Katie_, Leanne, Hermione Granger, Lavender Brown, that leggy blonde from Hufflepuff, just to name a few. Angelina hated that he treated her like all the others. And yet, she didn't react like the others. Every seductive raise of the eyebrows, every slight innuendo in his words carried into her daydreams, until all she could see during History of Magic was a pair of laughing blue eyes and that soft, brilliantly-colored hair.

She even hated his pranks. How he would let others in on the fun – George, of course, Lee, Katie, Alicia, Harry – but not her. He never warned her not to eat the eggs after he spiked them, or to avoid Snape's wrath after his robes had been turned pink. No, she was never special enough to help him out, or even laugh with him while the Slytherin students sprouted canary feathers. No, she was just another background character in his plots, another face in the entertained crowd.

But what she hated him for the most, was making Katie Bell her enemy. Of course, Katie had no idea. How was she supposed to know that Angelina had been pining after Fred since second year? The only people who knew were Alicia and Oliver Wood, though he pretending like he had never overheard that conversation.

She hated how close Katie and Fred were. After George, Bell was the ginger's best friend. She was in on their pranks the majority of the time, even more than Lee Jordan, George's best friend. Katie and Fred had been known to fall asleep together in the armchair in front of the fire after Wood's grueling evening practices, ignoring how gross and sweaty they were. She went to The Burrow every summer for a week, and had earned the nickname, "The Third Weasley Twin," or even, "The Other Weasley Daughter." She was a major part of Fred's life, and Angelina hated that.

Angelina also hated that no matter what, she would never be as close to Fred as Katie was. She would always be a friend, nothing more. She would never steal the title of "Best Friend" from Katie, and would never earn the title of "Fred Weasley's Girlfriend."

She was just Angelina, and she absolutely hated it.

She hated that she hated so many things, hated how confused and hurt she was, and hated that she resented someone for having a best friend.

But she knew that the hate in her heart would never die, so she accepted the fact that Katie Bell, one of her good friends and teammate, was, in fact, her enemy.


	6. Shapes

Title: Shapes  
Main Characters: Katie  
Pairings: Katie/Oliver  
Quote: "I feel not unlike a small boy, waking from a bad dream to find reality not much of an improvement." -John Byrne

_**Shapes**_

She knew it was a nightmare. Her vision was too fluid, the events playing out in front of her too spontaneous and disconnected. But that made the terror worse. The fact that she knew she was dreaming, but couldn't wake up.

As far as Katie Bell could tell, she had been stuck in this nightmare for months.

It was always the same. First, Harry Potter ran past her, blood streaming from his lightening-bolt scar. His eyes were nothing but bloody sockets, and as soon as she noted this, he fell to her feet, dead. Maggots and flies invested his open wounds, and his neck stuck out at an odd angle, clearly broken.

A deep, raspy laugh sounded from all around her, and Katie knew Voldemort had won. A chill spread through her body as she realized that she was a muggleborn, and would not live much longer.

Leanne flashed by, taken down by a dementor before Katie could scream a warning. The body it left behind was skeletal and empty, no longer the friend Katie loved so dearly.

Fred and George came next. They were blurry, like she had just woken up, and moved slowly. George went down first, his body crumbling away like dust. Fred made it closer to her, then bent in on himself, his body distorting into unnatural shapes until he was nothing but a blurry mass on the ground.

The Angelina appeared out of nowhere, nothing but a few tones of color in semi-distinct shapes. She looked like a new-age muggle cartoon or something, geometric shapes and blocky movement. She exploded in a burst of green light, deep red blood splattering across Katie's face. The girl let out a cry, finding it hard to remind herself that she was dreaming.

_Did you hear that? She shouted!_

That was new. It sounded like Fred's voice, but he was dead for the time being.

Alicia came next, right on schedule, screaming shrilly. The sound always sent shivers down her spine, but this time it seemed to send her body into convulsions. The petite girl was nothing but a blur of blonde and pink, but Katie knew her best friend well enough to know that it was her. Alicia was grabbed by two black shapes, deatheaters, Katie assumed, and pulled right down the middle, blood splattering everywhere.

_She moving! Merlin, she's moving! Get a healer!_

That was odd. But Katie was too distracted by the fear in her stomach to concentrate on the new additions to her nightmares. It was time. The worst part of the cycle was about to begin.

She never quite understood why she didn't fear Fred or Alicia's death the most. They were her best friends after all. But she loved Oliver too, so she didn't question why his death was the worst. She just accepted, and feared, it.

Oliver was the only one who wasn't blurry or dreamlike at all. He was real to Katie, like he was standing in front of her. His smile was the same serious, but caring grin that she knew by heart, his eyes still that perfect shade of mossy-green. His brown hair was windswept, like he had just gotten off his broom, and his robes were the deep blue color of Puddlemere United.

He walked towards her, hands outstretched.

_Kates._

That was also new. She had never heard his voice before. Her throat constricted, and she felt like she was going to cry. Hearing his voice as he died would not make the nightmare any easier.

_Kates, can you hear me?_

Hs mouth wasn't moving, but she could hear him perfectly. He just smiled at her, then faded away.

"Oliver!" She cried, reaching out to grab him.

_I'm here, Kates._

But he was gone. The darkness that surrounded her lightened, and she felt heavy and tired. Suddenly, her vision was grey-peach sort of color, and a million voices surrounded her.

She groaned, the noise hurting her ear. She felt her eyelid moving, but couldn't see anything except bright light. Strange shadows moved around her, and she thought the deatheaters were attacking.

"She's improving, it's true. Her vitals are much better than they were. Now we just have to wait for her to wake up."

"Thank you healer, you don't know how much it means for us to hear those words."

The voice that spoke was strong and smooth – Angelina. Her friends were alive!

"What do you think she's been dreaming about?" Another voice – Fred's – asked.

"I think I heard our dear Captain's name thrown around. Must've been a very nice dream." George, she assumed. That prat.

"I hope she wakes up soon," Alicia said. Her voice was soft and trembling. Katie wanted to wake up so badly, to tell her it was alright, but even though her eyes were open, she was still dreaming. She was sure of it.

"Me too." A new voice said. _Oliver_. _He's alive._

"Well, now that a certain girl has started shouting your name in her sleep, I can understand why," Fred joked. She heard a "whack!" and smiled, knowing Angelina had put him in his place.

"It just seems empty though. To be here with you lot and not have her next to me." Oliver spoke again, voice thick with emotion. _Damn, I've missed that prick._

Katie blinked, and wondered if she really was still dreaming. These shapes above her were just as undefined and terrifying as the ones from her nightmare.

"Aw, Oliver," Alicia cooed, and the scrape of chairs and clatter of feet told Katie that the small girl had jumped up to give Oliver a hug.

"You really care for her, don't you, Wood?" Angelina asked, voice soft and knowing.

"I do," Oliver said, and the room fell silent. No teasing from the twins, no squealing from the girls. Just silence. "I really do."

Katie tried to tell the stupid prat that she cared about him, too, and had missed him while he was off being a Quidditch player, but all that came out was a groan. She blinked a couple of times, the shapes above her gaining more definite shape.

"Katie!"

"Kat!"

"She's awake!"

"Get a healer!"

"Katie!"

She felt a rough hand take hers, and she blinked a couple more times as the noise around her grew louder. Her vision spun, the settled down, quickly clearing until she was looking right into the eyes of Oliver Wood.

"Hey there, Kates. Welcome back."


	7. Fixed

Title: Fixed  
Main Characters: Katie, George, Alicia  
Pairings: George/Alicia  
Quote: "It's a shallow life that doesn't give a person a few scars." -Garrison Keillor

_**Fixed**_

"Katie, how the hell do you tell Fred and George apart?" Alicia asked, sitting across from the second-year. Katie looked up from her lunch, short hair bouncing.

"Fred has a dark freckles right below his left eye. And George has a bad habit of licking his lips, so they're always chapped. Fred has a cowlick on the back of his head that he never notices...Oh! And George's voice is a bit lower."

Alicia just stared at her, eyes wide in confusion. Katie laughed.

"It's not that hard, 'Leesh. Really."

"But they're identical!" Alicia cried, frustrated.

The younger girl smirked. "Then why do you only fancy George?"

Alicia huffed indignantly. "Because he's _different_!"

Katie smirked, and Alicia understood the meaning of her words. "See, 'Leesha? If you can distinguish them by their personalities, it's not hard to distinguish them by their looks."

"Oh…" Alicia said quietly, staring at her plate. Katie smiled, sipping from her goblet.

"Don't worry, 'Leesh. One day, you'll be able to tell them apart, too."

* * *

"Does…does it hurt much, George?" Alicia asked, sitting next to her boyfriend. He shook his head, squeezing her hand.

"Nah. M'on a couple different potions right now, so I don't feel much of anything." The blonde girl nodded, biting her lip.

"At least you'll be able to tell us apart now. I know you used to have so much trouble with that," He said, laughing slightly.

Alicia felt tears welling up in her eyes. She had known the twins since first year, and until now, she _still_ couldn't tell them apart. They had tried to assure her that it was okay, that even their own mother had trouble with it at times, but Alicia just felt like the worst girlfriend in the world. And now, the only way she could tell them apart was because George was missing his ear!

A few tears escaped down her cheeks. She was the worst person alive, worrying about being a bad girlfriend when her boyfriend had nearly died. She deserved to be dumped, or to lose an ear of her own, or _something_.

George saw her tears and pulled the small girl to him, kissing her forehead. "Aw, Alicia, love, it's alright. You know I never cared that you couldn't tell us apart. Our own family can't, we never expected anyone else to. Katie's just a freak."

At the mention of her best friend, Alicia sobbed harder. "I-I'm so s-sorry, George. I-I just feel s-so ba-ad!"

"S'alright, love. Really. Look on the bright side. That little problem's fixed now."

Alicia just cried harder, ashamed at the relief she was feeling. George just smiled, and kissed her again.


	8. Colourless

Title: Colourless  
Main Characters: Oliver, Mellie(OC), Fred, Katie  
Pairings: Oliver/Katie  
Quote: "Beauty without colour seems somehow to belong to another world." ~Murasaki Shikibu

**_Colourless_**

The bright hues and loud sounds of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes pulled Oliver back to his Hogwarts days. Chasing the twins after they pranked him, getting laughed at by Katie and Angelina, forcing the entire team to do wind sprints as punishment…what crazy days those had been.

"Uncle Ollie?" Mellie, his seven-year-old niece asked. "What's this place?"

Oliver smiled. "This is a joke shop, Mel. Some old classmates of mine run it. We're here to buy a birthday present for your brother."

Mellie nodded, distracted by the fireworks that went off over their heads as they walked in. She gripped his hand tighter, gazing at the shelves and shelves of merchandize in wonder.

"Oliver! Absolutely smashing to see you again!" Fred – or George – called from behind the counter. His top-hat was singing a crude song about a man who went to Peru, losing track of what verse it was on every time the twin made any sudden movement.

"Wood! You look as spiffing as ever!" George – or Fred – shouted as he popped up next to his brother. Oliver led Mellie over to the counter, grinning at the twins.

"This place is scary, boys. I can't believe you're actually able to corrupt the next generation of witches and wizards. This shop should be illegal." The twins laughed, messing up the top-hat's song again.

"Thank you, dear-Captain-of-mine! Oh, and who is this?" The twin Oliver assumed to be George walked around the counter, squatting next to Mellie.

She ducked behind Oliver's legs, blushing slightly. Oliver pushed her towards George, whispering, "Say hi to Mr. Weasley, Mel."

She peeked out a little from her hiding spot, and said, "Hullo."

George grinned, then pulled out a conjured bouquet of flowers from behind his back. "For you, Ms. Mellie. It is very nice to meet you."

Mellie giggled, taking the bouquet. "Thank you, Mr. Weasley."

George stood, then offered the small girl his hand. "Would you like to see the Pygmy Puffs, Mellie?"

She nodded enthusiastically, and wandered off with George. Fred came around to take his twin's place, grinning.

"Why do I feel like Mellie is going to come back with some horrible plot to kill me?" Oliver groaned, scowling jokingly at Fred.

The ginger demon shrugged. "Oh, George just has too much fun playing with the Pygmy Puffs. Mellie was just an excuse to act all girly."

Oliver laughed, running a hand through his hair. "So, how have you two been? Besides brainwashing a new year of Hogwarts students into torturing Filch, I mean."

Fred shrugged, waving to the store around him. "We've been good. Mum wasn't too happy about the business, but she'll get over it."

Oliver laughed again. "Well, I suppose after raising you two, she's gotten used to disappointment."

Fred chuckled, nodding in agreement. "I think Angie said the same thing when she first visited. Always had so much faith in me, that girl."

"How is Angelina? Been treating her all right? After captaining you two, I don't know how she didn't go completely mental."

Fred patted Oliver on the shoulder, sighing. "Yes, you poor dear. Angelina's very lucky to not have turned out like you did. Of course, you were our captain for much longer."

Oliver rolled his eyes. "Har, har. How's Alicia? She and George still dating?"

Fred nodded. "Yup, those disgusting lovebirds. I'm sure they'll be tying the knot as soon as George gets some sense knocked into him."

Oliver nodded, then paused. As much as he wanted to hear about the well-being of his former beaters and their girlfriends, there was one person who really concerned him. One person whom he was too afraid to ask about.

"How…how's Katie doing? I haven't seen her since she got out of St. Mungo's." Fred looked, smile gone.

"She's not doing too well, actually. Got a job at Quality Quidditch Supplies, but she's just…she's not Katie anymore." Oliver looked up to see Fred like he had never seen him before – serious. In fact, Oliver thought the young man might start crying at any moment. Katie had always been Fred's best friend, his "other twin." The fact that Fred was upset about Katie's state of being scared Oliver to death.

"She's really quiet now – I know, a quiet Katie? It's unnerving. And she never really laughs. Kind of half-smiles a bit, but nothing major. Oh, speak of the devil."

The doors of the shop opened again, and three girls walked through. Angelina led the way, pushing her sunglasses to the top of her head. Alicia followed, licking happily on an ice-cream cone. And then – Oliver thought his heart had stopped beating – Katie crossed the threshold, a blank look on her face.

"Wood! Good to see you!" Angelina waved, smiling happily. Alicia looked up, then waved furiously, nearly dropping her ice cream. Katie just half-smiled, raising her hand weakly.

"Oliver! How have you been?" Alicia asked as they got closer, pulling Katie along by the hand.

"Er, I've been good. Just taking my niece shopping," He replied, studying Katie. He had forgotten how dark her hair had gotten when she was in St. Mungo's, and how pale she had become. The dark circles under her eyes had not gone away like he had hoped; instead, they seemed to have intensified. Her eyes, usually a bright, sparkling brown, looked like mud – dull, colourless mud.

This girl could not be Katie Bell. She couldn't be. No, she was Katherine A. Bell, the St. Mungo's coma patient.

"Oh, where is she?" Alicia asked, noticing his childless state.

"Er, I think George kidnapped her."

Angelina and Alicia laughed, while Katie smirked a bit.

"That's what happens when you let George near small children."

They all turned to stare at Katie, each one thinking the same thing: _Did Katie just make a joke?_

"Uncle George, look at my new Pygmy Puff! Her name is Stella!" Mellie ran up to Oliver, shoving a bright-prink fuzzball in his face.

"Oh, how nice, Mel." He said, patting her shoulder. "Should we get one for your brother, too?"

"Yeah! I already picked one out for him!" George, who had run up behind her, held an orange one, grinning.

Katie let out a small laughing, moving to tickle the fuzzy thing in the twin's hand. Angelina and Alicia stared at Oliver, smiles forming on their faces. Fred and George looked at each other, nodding.

"Free of charge, mate," Fred said, clapping Oliver on the back.

Oliver stared. "What? No, I couldn't."

George shoved the orange thing into the older man's hands, smiling. "Trust us. We owe you."

Oliver took it, frowning. "What for?"

The twins, Angelina, and Alicia looked to where Katie was playing with Mellie and Stella, outright laughing.

It was Fred who answered. "For bringing back some colour to our lives."


	9. Summer

Title: Summer  
Characters: Katie, Fred, George, Ginny, Mrs. Weasley  
Quote: "It is not flesh and blood but the heart which makes us fathers and sons." ~Johann Schiller

**_Summer_**

Katie tiptoed her way to the kitchen, hoping desperately that her parents were busy. The last thing she needed was to have to actually _talk _to them.

Luck, it seemed, was not on Katie's side, today. There, at the kitchen table, sat her mother, looking as severe as always. She was typing furiously on her laptop, hair pulled back in a tight ponytail. As Katie walked in, Eileen Bell looked up, an exasperated scowl on her face.

"Katherine. Aren't you supposed to be at Melissa's house?" She asked, lips pursed. Katie shrugged, walking to the refrigerator.

"I got back an hour ago. She had to go to her sister's dance recital." The twelve-year-old pulled out the half-full milk carton, drinking it straight. Her mother grimaced, but said nothing.

"Oh, how…nice." Eileen went back to typing, and Katie went back to chugging milk from the carton. Noticing her mother's winces of disgust, the young witch purposely slopped a bit on the floor.

"Oops." She "attempted" to wipe it up with her bare foot, but it only spread the mess more. Her mother's indignant silence told Katie that she wanted something, and Katie was willing to – pardon the pun- milk the opportunity for all it was worth.

"Katherine." Eileen's voice was sharp and cold, and she didn't lift her gaze from her laptop. Katie sat on top of the table where her mother worked, smiling brightly.

"Yes, mum?" She asked sweetly, swinging her legs back and forth. Eileen looked like she was going to explode, but she kept her cool, placing her hands on the table.

"As you know, your father is leaving for The States in two days on a business trip, and your brother is off to his summer study program in France in a week. I have too much to do to, in short, keep you from terrorizing the neighborhood." Katie couldn't help but smirk at this idea. "Can you stay at one of your school friend's house for the next two weeks?"

The girl shrugged again, much to the annoyance of her mother. "I suppose so. I'll have to go write to them." Eileen nodded curtly, then went back to her computer. Katie ran back up the stairs and called to Lucy, the screech owl she had spent all of her birthday money on during Christmas break. Lucy perched on the girl's shoulder, nipping her ear affectionately.

Taking out a stack of parchment, Katie set out to writing letters to Alicia, Leanne, and Olivia, one of her other roommates, copying down the same note on each one. Sending them off quickly, Katie flopped down on her bed, settling back to take a nap.

When she woke a while later, three replies sat neatly on her desk, all bearing similar messages: "Oh, so sorry, Katie, but we're leaving for vacation tomorrow" or "Sorry, Kit, but my cousin's getting married and the house is going to be swamped with relatives." She sighed, unsure whom else she could write. Cormac's mother was strictly against having girls in the house and she wasn't very close to Angelina. And her mother obviously didn't want her to stay in the muggle world while she wasn't there to regulate, so Melissa was out. That only left one option.

"Oh, there is no bloody way I'm staying with the twins for two weeks. Absolutely not."

* * *

Charlie Weasley sat at the breakfast table, sipping contently at his orange juice. It was a beautiful Wednesday morning and he was the only person awake in the house. Just as he was relishing the peace and quiet, a scruffy-looking screech owl swooped through the window, dropping a letter in his lap. It landed on his shoulder, nuzzling his face affectionately.

"Strange owl, aren'tcha?" He asked, opening the letter. The owl hooted in response, and if it could smile, Charlie would have bet it was grinning at him.

He turned back to the letter, then realized it was for the twins, not him. Noticing the girly handwriting, though, and remembering the multiple times the twins had intercepted his mail, Charlie kept reading.

_Dear Fred and George,_

_I wouldn't be writing this letter if I had any other options, but luck is not on my side and I need a favor. My parents and brother will all be gone and busy in the upcoming two weeks, and they are requesting that I leave my muggle neighborhood for that time. They seem to think that I will hex every muggle I see now that I know how to. Stupid gits. Anyhoo, would it be too much to ask if I could stay at your place for two weeks? I don't eat (too) much and I'll sleep on the couch and do my own laundry and everything (though I've never been sure how wizards do laundry). You know I love you two from the bottom of my heart, so…PLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASE!_

_Much love,_

_Katie._

As he finished reading, he let out a bark of a laugh. His mum bustled in at that moment, preparing to make breakfast for the family, and smiled.

"A letter from a friend of yours, Charlie? A girl, perhaps?" She asked, pulling out a pan to make some eggs.

"Well, it's from a girl, but it's not for me," Charlie answered, chuckling. Molly Weasley cocked her head, frowning slightly.

"Then who is it for? Bill? Percy?" She waved her wand, summoning some eggs from the hen house in the back yard.

"Nope. It's for the twins." She stared at him, eyebrow raised.

"Seriously, Charlie. Who's it for?" The eggs flew in, then cracked themselves over the pan.

"The twins, I swear, Mum. From some girl named Katie," He said, smirking, just as Fred and George walked in, yawning.

"What about us and Katie? You're not telling mum about the incident with Mrs. Norris, are you?" Fred asked, throwing himself in a chair.

"'Cause, I swear, we were framed! Katie didn't speak to us for a week after that, all because of that stupid prat, Flint." George followed his brother, sitting next to Charlie.

Molly scowled at the twins in suspicion, but said nothing about the incident. Instead, she asked, "So, what did Katie have to say, Charlie?"

Fred and George turned their heads towards their brother, confused. Charlie smirked and cleared his throat, then read, "Blah blah blah, no other options. Blah blah, something about her parents and brother being gone for the next two weeks. Blah blah, being accused of planning to hex muggles or something. Blah blah blah, can I stay with you two? Blah blah, I'll stay out of your hair and stuff. Blah blah blah blah, oh my favorite part. '_You know I love you two from the bottom of my heart.' _How sweet. Oh, and '_Much love, Katie'."_

The twins grabbed the letter from their brother's hands, reading Katie's actual words. "Can she come stay with us, Mum? Please?" Fred asked, looking up.

"Well…" Molly hesitated. As much as she would love to have another girl around to be an influence for Ginny, anyone who was a friend of Fred and George would be a troublemaker.

"Please, Mum? You'll love her! She's like us—" Molly paled, almost burning the eggs. George bit his lip and Fred backtracked.

"But, I mean, a girl. And she would never cause trouble here. C'mon Mum, please? Her parents are horrible to her, all uptight and stuff. Can't she come here for a bit? She's desperate for a place to stay."

"Well, I suppose. But no trouble, you two, I mean it. Tell her we'll pick her up by Floo on Saturday." The twins grinned as Molly turned back to her cooking.

"Thanks Mum!" They shouted in unison, then ran upstairs to write a reply. The screech owl followed them, hooting happily.

Charlie grinned. "I know the twins share everything, but a girlfriend too?" Molly slapped the back of her son's head, hiding a smile.

"Do you know this Katie girl? Is she a Gryffindor too?" She set a plate of eggs in front of her son, then refilled his glass of orange juice.

"Yeah, she's a Gryffindor. She's a year younger than the twins, and a muggle-born, I think. Oliver Wood tells me she's a pretty good flyer too. She's Fred and George's partner-in-crime, so to speak, but closer to Fred than George, I think. Like the way George and Lee are closer than Fred and Lee. But other than that, I don't know much about her. She seems nice enough, but it's not like I spend my time talking to first years."

Molly said nothing, but nodded, thinking. Finally, she spoke, "Well, I hope those three behave. It's bad enough having to control two pranksters. One more isn't exactly what we need right now."

* * *

Katie sat in her living room, duffle bag at her feet. Her dad was in The States, her brother was off buying travel amenities for his trip, and her mother was at work, leaving the young witch alone in the large, cold house. The barren fireplace seemed especially foreign to her, today, as she stared at it with anticipation. She was leaving for two whole weeks and couldn't be more excited.

She desperately hoped the Weasleys liked her. She was loud and mischievous, and a tad bit rebellious, nothing parents wanted in their children. She often wondered how she could not have turned out how her parents had planned: quiet, studious, and obedient. They worked so hard to pound their morals and beliefs into her head, but, and perhaps it was her magic working here, her brain just rejected it all. She was a failure, and a magical freak to make things worse. The only good that had resulted from her being a witch was that her parents got to lie and tell neighbors that she was off at some prestigious boarding school.

Suddenly, bright green flames appeared in the fireplace, and a tall, balding man stepped out of them, coughing slightly.

"Ah, Katie. Nice to meet you," Mr. Weasley shook the stunned girl's hand, giving her a genuine smile. "Oh, here comes Ginny."

Green flames appeared again, and a small, redheaded girl stepped out of the fireplace, soot covering her freckled face.

"Mum is busy yelling at Fred and George. We're supposed to stall until she's done so Katie wont see her being mean." Mr. Weasley sighed, bring his palm to his forehead. Ginny's eyes grew wide as she realized her mistake. "Oops. I guess I shouldn't have said that."

Katie giggled, then said, "Can I offer you two a drink? We have water, milk, tea, Coke…"

Mr. Weasley smiled. "Water would be lovely. Ginny, how about you?"

The small girl cocked her head. "What's Coke?"

Katie smiled. "Here, I'll show you. It's a muggle drink." Ginny and Mr. Weasley followed Katie into the pristine kitchen, gawking at all of the appliances.

Katie opened up the refrigerator, pulling out a red can. She popped the tab, and both Weasley's gasped as it fizzled. The older girl smiled and handed the drink to Ginny, who apprehensively took a sip.

"It's tingles!" She exclaimed, then took another sip. "Wow, this stuff is great!"

Katie winked, then grabbed a glass from the cabinet. Opening the freezer, she scooped out a couple ice cubes, then turned on the water tap, letting it fill up the glass.

"Here, Mr. Weasley," she said, handing him the glass of water. He just stared at it in amazement, mesmerized by all of the muggle technology that had provided it.

"Thank you, Katie." He took a large gulp, then set it down. "Well, do you think that was enough time for your mother, Gin?"

The small girl nodded, still sipping on the Coke like crazy.

"Are your parents around, Katie? Do you need to say goodbye?" Mr. Weasley asked as they moved back into the living room.

"Nah, they knew I was leaving today. Mum and Chris won't even notice until I'm not at dinner." She hoisted her bag onto her shoulder, smiling slightly.

Mr. Weasley seemed surprised. "Ah, okay. Well, let's go then." He held out the bag of floo powder to Katie and she took a handful. "Just through it in and say, 'The Burrow'. Got it?"

Katie nodded, then followed his directions. She stepped into the fireplace, threw down the powder, and shouted, "The Burrow!" as she was engulfed in green flames. She was shot through what looked like a tunnel, blurred visions of other living rooms sweeping past her as she slid.

Finally, Katie burst into a small living area, propelled face-first onto the rug. She grabbed her bag and stood up, brushing the soot from her clothes. Following the din of voices she heard from down the hall, she came into a kitchen, where the rest of the Weasley family sat, all talking rather loudly.

"She's not my girlfriend, Charlie! I mean it! What about you and Tonks, then, eh?" Fred shouted at his older brother, who blushed.

"Tonks is just my friend. You know that." The twins smirked evilly, glancing at each other.

"Who's Tonks?" A younger boy asked. He was redheaded and freckled like the rest, with a long nose and dirt smudged on his face. Katie assumed this was Ron, the youngest Weasley brother.

"No one—" Charlie started, but was quickly interrupted by Fred and George.

"Katie!"

"You're here!"

They ran up and each put an arm around her shoulders, grinning. Charlie waved, Ron ducked his head shyly, Percy, looked up from his book and nodded in her direction, and a taller boy with long hair – Bill, she supposed – gave her a smile.

"Er, hey guys. Thank you so much for having me," Katie said awkwardly. Mr. Weasley and Ginny walked in behind her, the young girl still drinking her Coke.

"It's no trouble at all, Katie." A voice came from behind the crowd of boys, where a plump, kindly looking woman stood, a basket of laundry in her hands. "Fred, George, why don't you show Katie up to her room." The twins nodded, Fred grabbing her duffel bag for her. Mrs. Weasley turned to Katie, smiling. "You'll be staying in Ginny's room, if that's not too much to ask. We're a bit tight for rooms around here, and Merlin knows you don't want to stay in the twins' room. I wouldn't inflict that torture on anyone."

Katie laughed, then thanked the motherly woman, before racing upstairs with the twins.

"Here you go, Kit. The land of everything flowery," Fred said, tossing her bag on a makeshift cot. The room they had walked into was indeed covered with pictures of flowers, making it feel like a garden. The walls were a bright peach color and several potted plants sat on the windowsill. The air was thick with the scent of lavender and rosemary, and Katie smiled as she noticed the muddy rubber boots in the corner.

"It's disgusting, isn't it?" George asked, grimacing.

Katie shook her head. "Nah, it's cute. I mean, consider yourselves lucky. These walls could be covered in posters of cute Quidditch players and cutouts from Witch Weekly." The twins shrugged in agreement.

"I suppose. Anyways, let's get down to dinner. Mum's made homemade ice cream just for your arrival!"

"Yeah, I hope you like strawberry."

Katie grinned, putting her arms around the twins' shoulders. "It's my favorite."

* * *

After dinner, Katie joined the Weasley boys in a game of Quidditch. Bill, George, and Ron formed one team; Charlie, Fred, and Katie made up the other. Ginny watched from the ground, where she sat, playing with a roly-poly, and Percy sat nearby, reading.

"Oi! Kit! Over here!" Fred waved frantically, hovering above his brother. Katie chucked the ball at him, hitting the twin squarely in the chest. "Oof!" He shouted as he fell off his broom. Though he hadn't been very far off the ground, Ginny shrieked as he hit the ground.

"Fred! Fred!" The tiny girl raced over to her brother, bending over his body. The others landed next to him, discarding their brooms.

"Freddy!" Ginny shouted again, shaking his shoulder. The boy didn't move, and Katie felt her face going pale. George squeezed her shoulder, and gave her a wait-a-minute-and-you'll-see look.

"Fred Weasley, if you're dead, I'm telling Mum and you'll be in big trouble!" Ginny scowled, crossing her arms. Without warning, Fred lurched at his sister, pinning her to the ground.

"Oh, I will, will I? Well, good thing I'm not dead, isn't it?" Katie let out the breath she had been holding. The stupid prat had been faking it.

"Gerroff me, you fat oaf!" Ginny shouted, poorly masking her giggles. Fred just laughed, then looked up at George. His twin smirked, then grabbed Katie's arm.

"DOG PILE!" He shouted, throwing Katie down on top of Fred. She landed with a thud, then felt the wind get knocked out of her as George added to the pile. Charlie laughed and followed soon after, Ron next, then Bill, forgoing his role as the oldest and most mature, grabbed Percy from the sidelines, where he had been reading, and added two more bodies to the giant dog pile.

Katie laughed, barely able to breath, as Mrs. Weasley bustled over, camera in hand. She snapped a few pictures of the kids, then told them to get off Ginny, because it was time for the Weasleys to go to bed.

The older boys got off immediately, knowing their sister was probably suffocating under their immense weight. Percy stalked off, peeved his book had been interrupted. Bill pulled Ron up, ruffling his hair, then went to put the brooms up for the night. Charlie pulled George up by the scruff of his neck, telling him it wasn't nice to squish ladies. Katie rolled off of Fred, who finally got off of Ginny. The youngest girl didn't seem fazed at all, and just smiled at Katie as she skipped off to bed.

The twins "chivalrously" escorted Katie up to her room, insisting that ladies such as herself were unable to climb stairs on their own. Katie told them where they could stick their chivalry, then bid them a good night, grinning widely. She had been at the Burrow for less than twenty-four hours, and she already felt more at home than she ever had in her own house.

After changing into her pajamas and brushing her teeth, Katie walked into Ginny's room, where Mrs. Weasley was reading to the young girl. Katie smiled, slipping into the cot.

"Oh, Katie dear, I brought you a glass of milk to drink before bed." The motherly woman handed her a mug, smiling.

"What happened then, Mum?" Ginny asked, grasping her own milk with two hands. Mrs. Weasley turned back to the book she was reading, and began to speak.

"Well, then the beautiful young witch waved her wand, and the barren landscape was covered in a blanket of magnificent flowers. All the muggles in the village rejoiced, and for a time, those muggles and wizards lived side-by-side in peace. And even after the two groups went their ways, and time erased the knowledge of magic from the mind of the muggles, the gift of the flowers forever represented an underlying bond that not even the most powerful spell could ever undo."

Ginny sighed in contentment, nestling under her covers. She murmured a goodnight to her mum, then something that sounded vaguely like, "I like flower stories…so pretty…"

"Goodnight to you too, love." Mrs. Weasley kissed her daughter's head. With a wave of her wand the lights extinguished themselves, and Katie lied down, pulling the covers to her chin.

"Goodnight, Katie, dear." She felt lips on her forehead and realized that she, for the first time since she was a baby, was getting a goodnight-kiss.

"'Night, Mrs. Weasley."

* * *

Around midnight or so, Katie woke up, in desperate need to use the toilet. Careful not to wake Ginny, Katie ran from the room, slipped down the hall, and into the bathroom. After relieving herself, the young witch walked back to Ginny's room, passing the staircase on the way. As she passed, Katie noticed a light coming from downstairs, and, only being half awake, decided to investigate.

Watching out for the creaky steps, she tiptoed into the living room, where Mrs. Weasley sat, sipping a cup of tea. She was just about to go back upstairs when she heard, "Katie? Is that you, dear?"

"Sorry to disturb you, Mrs. Weasley. I just saw the light on…" Katie trailed off, shrugging. Mrs. Weasley patted the spot on the sofa next to her, smiling. Katie walked over and sat down, clasping her hands together.

"Couldn't sleep, could you?" The older woman asked, a kind look on her face. Katie couldn't help but smile a bit.

"Er, something like that. If you don't mind my asking, what are you doing up?"

Mrs. Weasley took another sip of tea, staring into the dying embers of the fire. "Oh, just worrying. It's what we mothers do best."

Katie crossed her legs underneath herself, frowning. "'Bout what?"

"Oh, you know. Ron'll be off at Hogwarts next year, and he's just…less self-sufficient than his brothers. I'm just worried he won't adjust as well. And Ginny will be all alone, and I don't know how I can keep her entertained. She's friends with this nice girl from over the hill, but they can't spend _all_ their time together. I'm worried she'll be sad being an only child. And then I'm worried the twins will get expelled before they can graduate, and that Percy isn't having as much fun as a kid as he should be, and that Charlie will get hurt, because he wants to work with animals like Dragons and Hippogriffs, and I'm worried Bill will get cursed in his new job with Gringotts."

Katie just stared at Mrs. Weasley, mouth slightly open. "Wow…that's a lot to be worried about. How have you not exploded yet?"

Mrs. Weasley chuckled, smiling. "I'm a mother. I'm built to worry. It's my job."

Katie nodded, frowning slightly. Did her mother ever worry? Of course she did. But _her_ mother was worried about making money, and making sure Christian had everything he needed to succeed in life, and keeping her reputation pristine, and hiding her freak daughter's secret. She never worried if Katie was happy at school, or if she could get hurt flying on a broomstick. She didn't act like a mother, did she?

"Katie, dear? Are you alright?" Mrs. Weasley asked, setting her tea down. Katie nodded, biting her lip.

"It's just…weird, I suppose. To be surrounded by a real family. You care for your kids so much, and they love each other like siblings should. All my mother cares about is her reputation and social status. All my father cares about is money and my brother's future. And my brother hates me. We aren't a family. We're a group of biologically related people living under the same roof."

Mrs. Weasley hugged the girl, a sad smile on her lips. "Oh, Katie, I'm sorry."

The girl shrugged. "Not your fault. We can't choose our family."

"Well, I'll have you know everyone in this family loves you already. While you were getting ready for bed all Ginny could talk about was the 'Koke' that you gave her and how excited she was to have a big sister of sorts. And Charlie thinks you'll be a good influence on the twins, an idea Bill and Percy voiced as well. Ron was very impressed with your Quidditch skills, since the only girl he's ever known refuses to play with the boys, and Arthur thinks you're a sweetheart for putting up with his hundreds of questions about muggles. And as for me – well, after watching you with the twins, I think I'm starting to think I gave birth to three twins, not two. In my opinion, sweetie, you were born to be a Weasley."

Katie grinned, hugging the older woman again. "Does that mean I can call you mum, then?" She asked, laughing.

Mrs. Weasley chuckled, taking a sip of her tea. "If you really want to. Now, off to bed."

* * *

The next morning, Fred and George raced down to breakfast, meeting up with the girls along the way. "Morning, Katie," Fred said, ruffling her hair.

"Morning, Fred. George." As the twins and Ginny sat at the table, Katie went over to where Mrs. Weasley was cooking, and started to help.

"Oh, thank you Katie. Here can you take these scraps to the pigpen?" She handed the girl a plate of bread scraps and eggshells, pointing to the backdoor.

"Of course, Mama Weasley," she replied, walking out the back door. George cast Fred a confused look, and they both turned to Ginny, who shrugged.

"Mum, did Katie just call you 'Mama Weasley'?" George asked. Molly smiled.

"Of course she did. She _is_ the second Weasley daughter, after all."


	10. Orange

Title: Orange  
Main Characters: Katie, Leanne, Fred, George  
Pairings: None  
Quote: "Friends are the family we choose for ourselves." –Edna Buchanan

_**Orange**_

Katie sat straight up, suddenly very aware of her surroundings. The air was chilly, the morning was bright, and the faint scent of cinnamon and pine needles hung in the air.

It was Christmas morning.

"LEANNE! ELEANOR! OLIVIA! WAKE UP!" She shouted, throwing the covers from her body. The other three girls just groaned in response, chucking pillows in Katie's direction.

"Shut it, Bell, or I'll shut it for you!" Eleanor growled, pulling the covers over her head.

"Katie, can't we sleep a little longer?" Olivia asked a bit more politely, snuggling into her pillow. Katie sighed, flopping onto her stomach.

"Fine, but I'm opening my presents _now_," Katie said, pulling a gift from the end of her bed. Leanne sighed, secretly happy that Katie woke her up, and moved to open her own gifts.

"Well, if you insist…" the dark-haired girl said quietly, tearing the paper off of a new photography book her parents had sent her.

"Happy Christmas, Leanne," Katie said as she opened up her own present from her parents. It was always the worst, the most impersonal of all the gifts she received, so she liked to get it out of the way.

"Oh, look, Lee. _Another_ giftcard to some muggle store I'll never shop at." Katie tossed the plastic card to the floor, smirking bitterly.

"Ooh, I'll take it! Maybe I can get extra-credit in muggle studies," Leanne swiped the card from the cobblestones, grinning.

Katie laughed, pulling another present to her lap. Ripping off the shiny paper, she found a bag of suspicious-looking sweets from the twins. She tossed them to the side, making a mental note to slip them onto Marcus Flint's plate.

All in all, Katie decided she had made a good haul this year; A pair of dangly, color-changing star earrings from Alicia (who knew Katie would only wear jewelry if it was entertaining), a book of Quidditch tactics from Oliver (with moving pictures for the five-year-old in Katie), a Puddlemere United scarf from Angelina, a handwritten and illustrated guide on how to survive the Weasley twins from Lee, a photo album of the past year and a half from Leanne ("With many more to come!" She had exclaimed), and a bag of chocolate frogs from Cormac.

She leaned back against her pillows, sighing happily. It was her first Christmas at Hogwarts, and by far her best so far.

"You missed one," Leanne said as she tried on a necklace given to her by her older sister. Katie looked and saw one last package at the end of her bed, half-hidden underneath the piles of wrapping paper. It was modest looking, wrapped neatly in brown paper and tied with a festive green ribbon. Untying it carefully, Katie pulled open the paper and found herself face-to-face with a large mass of orange.

"What is it?" Leanne asked, pulling herself away from the mirror where she had been admiring her new jewelry.

"It's…it's…" Katie pulled out the wooly fabric, studying it closely. "It's a sweater."

"Who from?" The other girl asked, clearing the wrappings from her bed. Katie picked up the note that had fallen from the paper.

_Dear Katie,_

_I hope this finds you by Christmas. Erroll is not the most trustworthy owl, and I completed this sweater later than the others. I do hope you forgive the tardiness if be there any, and I hope your Christmas is splendid and free of antics from the twins._

_Make sure all the boys wear their sweaters today (including Harry, the dear), because I know they'll just jump out into the snow without cloaks or hats or scarves and then all get sick. As my only "daughter" at Hogwarts, I'm trusting you to watch over those boys while I can't. That is, when the twins aren't pulling you into one of their pranks._

_Take care, dear, and have a good holiday._

_With love,_

_Mama Weasley_

Katie gaped at the orange sweater, tracing her finger over the bright pink "K" knitted on the front. It was so…perfect. Her throat closed with emotion, and her eyes pricked slightly with unshedable tears.

"Well, who's it from?" Leanne asked, cocking her head.

"Mrs. Weasley," Katie said, voice quiet. Leanne jumped across the room, grabbing the note from Katie's bed as the other girl stared at her new sweater.

After scanning the note, Leanne smiled. "Aww, you're her '_only 'daughter' at Hogwarts_'? That's so sweet!"

Katie nodded, smiling. "It really is." Then, without another word to Leanne, Katie rushed out the door, down the stairs, up the stairs to the boys' dormitories, and into the twins' room.

Fred and George were lounging on their beds, laughing. When she burst in, they looked up, still laughing.

"Is this our Christmas present? A messy-haired, pajama clad Katie Bell? 'Cause, if it is, I'd like to trade it in," Fred said, smirking. His smirk faltered when she didn't try to hit him or laugh at his stupid joke.

"Katie?" George asked, eyebrow raised. "Everything alright?"

She nodded, smiling. "Your mum knitted me a sweater. An infamous _Weasley_ sweater." She held out the orange masterpiece to them, grin wide.

"Did she really?" George asked, examining it closely.

Katie nodded, grin threatening to split her face. "In her note she referred to me as her 'daughter', too."

Fred clapped her shoulder, smiling. "Well, our family really did love you over the summer. They think you're a good influence on us or something."

George laughed. "Fancy the idea of that."

But Katie just smiled, hugging the sweater to her. Fred cast a glance at his brother, then back at the girl.

"It's just a sweater, Katie-kat," he said. "She makes them for all of the family members."

Katie smiled, throat constricting again. "Exactly, Fred. _For the family members. _She considers me family. And, well, this is sort of a first for me."

Sure, Katie's parents didn't _hate_ her. They just didn't really like her. Escaping to Hogwarts had been a blessing to Katie, and the fact that she could stay at the castle for Christmas had been her greatest discovery.

Robert and Eileen Bell were not cruel, vicious people. But they weren't kind and doddling like Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, either. Katie had grown up in a cold household, with little affection and abundant criticism. From an early age Katie had known she was different, and nothing she did would make her parents proud of her. She could never live up to her brother, Christian, so she stopped trying. Instead, she became a wild child, making her parents dislike her even more.

"Oh, right." Fred said, eyes on the ground. He had met her parents on the platform at the end of the past year, and hadn't really liked them too much.

"Well, try it on!" George urged, trying to break the awkward silence. Katie smiled again, pulling the sweater over her head.

Suddenly, the chilly air of the castle was replaced by a warm fuzziness. The sweater enveloped her torso, wrapping her in a bundle of comfort and orange.

"Perfect! Look at that, Gred! A true Weasley!" George shouted, throwing his hands in the air.

"Marvelous! Absolutely stunning, really. And the beautiful hue of the sweater makes up for her boring hair color." Fred exclaimed, smiling. "She really is the third Weasley twin."

Katie smiled, pulling both the twins into a hug. "I love you guys. And your mum."

Fred squeezed her shoulder, laughing. "Don't you mean _our _mum?"

Katie grinned so wide that the boys thought her jaw was going to break. "Yeah. Our mum."

George broke the hug, hands on his hips. "Come on, now, let's go force everyone else into their sweaters!"

Katie nodded vigorously, pulling her sweater closer around her body. "And we can get Leanne to take a matchy picture!"

The twins just stared at her, uncomprehending her words. "You know," she said slowly, as if talking to small children. "A picture where we all_ match_."

"Ah." The twins nodded, then ran out the door, pulling their identical blue sweaters over their heads. In the common room they found Ron and Harry, both in their sweaters already, and Percy, who held his in his hands.

As they marched down to breakfast, showing off their new apparel, Katie couldn't help but catch Harry's eyes every now and again. He walked along quietly next to Ron, his closest(and from what Fred had told her, first) friend, smiling as he tugged at his new green sweater.

Katie knew he came from a worse household than she did, and had never even known his parents at all. And she knew he had pieced together her home life through overheard conversations and tales from the twins. They were the unwanted children, the forgotten freaks, the hidden offspring of the magical world. They only knew order and survival, no affection, no attention.

But now, as they were pushed and bumped along, laughed at and laughed with, they realized that they weren't alone. A kind, motherly woman, with seven children of her own, had opened up her heart and home to them, giving them something they had never had before: the love of a family.


	11. Moon

Title: Moon  
Characters: Alicia, George, Katie, Fred, Angelina, Leanne  
Pairings: Alicia/George  
Quote: "You don't see what you possess, a beauty calm and clear/ It floods the sky and blurs the darkness like a chandelier/ All the light that you possess is skewed by lakes and seas/ The shattered surface, so imperfect, is all that you believe/ I will bring a mirror, so silver, so exact/ So precise and so pristine, a perfect pane of glass/ I will set the mirror up to face the blackened sky/ You will see your beauty every moment that you rise." –_You Are the Moon, _The Hush Sound  
Note: **The beginning argument between Katie and Fred is taken from a one-shot I have not written yet. So…stay tuned?**

**_Moon_**

"Just go away, Katie!" Fred shouted, speeding up. Katie chased after him, absolutely confused.

"What? I just asked if you were going to ask Angelina to the ball!" She bellowed back, putting her hands up defensively. They, along with Alicia and George, were on their way up to the castle after a strenuous early-morning practice, and, luckily for the rest of the student body, were still too far off for anyone to hear them. Wood was still in the showers, Harry had run off with his friends, and Angelina was in the hospital wing with the flu, leaving Alicia and George to put up with the bickering duo.

"I told you, she's not interested." Alicia made to protest, but George shook his head, placing his hand on her shoulder.

Katie did not catch his warning, however. "Of course she is! _Ask _her!"

"No, Katie," Fred grumbled, shouldering his broom. The younger girl sighed, jogging to keep up with the twin.

"How long is this gonna last?" George muttered to Alicia, rolling his eyes. She sighed.

"Oh, with these two, who knows?" George groaned, and Alicia giggled. "Don't worry, it can't last too long. As long as Fred either asks out Angelina, or snogs Katie senseless to shut her up." They both grimaced at that last image.

"So, you got a date yet?" George asked, grinning deviously. The blonde girl blushed, shaking her head.

"No. Katie and Angelina and I were planning to go in a group. I think her friend Leanne will join us, too."

George frowned slightly. "Are you going to ask anyone?"

Alicia shook her head again, looking down. She didn't really like where this conversation was headed, and truly hoped she didn't start crying or something of that sort.

"Well, why not? Isn't there anyone you want to ask?" Alicia felt her face heat up, and she turned away from George.

"Yes. But he wouldn't be interested in going with me."

George's frown deepened. "Who wouldn't want to go with you? What's wrong with this fellow? Shall I go beat him up?"

Alicia laughed, wishing he could realize the absurdity of his words. _You can't beat up yourself_. "There's nothing wrong with him. He's perfect, really."

George scowled. "Oh, some stupid good-looking fellow who's all brawn and no brains, then? You can do much better than that, Leesh."

The tiny girl giggled again. "No, he's not that good-looking. I mean, I think he's very handsome, but not in a traditional sense. And he's very, very funny, and interesting, and sweet, once you get to know him, of course…" She trailed off, appalled that she was spilling her heart out to the boy who had captured it.

"Well, why hasn't he asked you yet?" George seemed a tad irritated as he pushed open the oak doors for the girl.

"He can do better. I don't know if he has a date yet, but I'm sure he'll find some pretty little thing to make his arm candy. Maybe one of those Beauxbatons girls. The Durmstrang ones seem a bit too… dark for his taste."

George gaped at her. "Leesh, how could anyone do better than having you on their arm?"

Alicia blushed, looking down. "You're sweet, George, but I'm not the kind of girl guys want to take to balls. I'm so small and odd-looking; people tell me I look like a fawn, all awkward and wide-eyed. Besides, Katie's been a horrible influence on me, and everyone says I talk too loud and laugh too much. And I don't even have her charm or guts to make up for it."

George was about to protest when they heard Katie and Fred's shouting intensify. Katie stormed off, fuming, and shouted, "FINE! I'll just go away and never bother you again, Fred Weasley! HAVE A NICE LIFE!"

"Wait, Katie! KATIE!" He tried to race after the girl, but George held him back, shaking his head. Alicia ran after her friend, her conversation with George forgotten.

* * *

"Can you believe Fred asked me to the ball?" Angelina asked, twirling around the dorm room excitedly. Katie was still fuming in her room a floor bellow, and refused to tell Alicia what her argument with Fred had been about. She did seem a bit happy when she heard that the boy had finally asked Ange out, but wouldn't forgive him for whatever he said to her.

"Yes," Alicia answered, giggling. "The boy is head-over-heels for you, honey." They were flipping through Madame Malkin's catalogues, trying to decide on dresses to order.

"What about this one, Leesh? For Katie?" Angelina pointed to a thin-strapped dress, with an olive green bodice and a skirt of sheer blue, green, and purple fabric.

"Ooh! Perfect! Tear out the order form, I'll take it down to her later." The girls giggled, and continued looking through the catalogue.

"Oh! Wow, look at this…" Angelina gasped, running her finger over the picture of a tight gold dress, with intricate black beadwork down the side.

"Oh, how beautiful. You would look so lovely in that, Ange…" Alicia sighed, imagining her friend looking absolutely stunning at the ball.

"Oh, look at that price! How could I _not_ get it!" The girls tore out the order form, smiling excitedly.

"So, have you been asked yet?" Angelina asked, turning the page of the catalogue. Alicia's shoulders drooped, and she shook her head.

"No. But Katie doesn't have a date either, so we can still hang out."

Angelina grimaced. "Actually, Leesh, I heard she's going with Cormac."

"McClaggen? That short kid she hangs around with?"

"Yup. Says he reminds her of Oliver, in a way."

Alicia groaned. "Aw, darn it! Now I have to get a date!"

Angelina nodded. "What about Lee?"

"Some Beauxbatons girl. Colette or something equally French."

"George?"

Alicia bit her lip. "I don't know."

The tall girl smirked, eyeing her best friend. "Ask him."

Alicia just shook her head, turning back to the catalogue. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

"It's open!" The girls shouted in unison, turning to see who it was. A small first year peeked in, note in hand.

"Er, some random older boy asked me to deliver this to a sixth year named Alicia Spinnet? Is that you?" The small girl shuffled uncomfortably, tucking her dark hair behind her ear. Alicia jumped up from the bed, snatching the note from the girl's hand.

"Thank you," she said, and the first-year scuttled off, relieved that her task was done.

"Who's it from?" Angelina asked, flipping another page. Alicia opened the note, shrugging.

_Lovely Alicia,_

_I would be honored if you would accompany me to the Yule Ball. A girl of your beauty should not be alone on a special night like that._

_If you accept this invitation, meet me outside on the night of the Ball between the rose bushes and the statue of the house-elf ballerinas. Please seriously consider this invitation, as I might be crushed by a rejection._

_You are the moon._

_-A friend_

"You are the moon? What does that mean?" Alicia wondered out loud, rereading the invitation.

"Do you have a date?" Angelina asked excitedly, smiling widely. Alicia nodded weakly.

"I…I think so." She sat down, handing the letter to her friend. Angie sighed contently.

"This is so romantic! You have to go! Whoever this boy is, he sure knows how to charm a lady." The girls giggled happily, Angelina suddenly dropping the letter, mouth forming an 'o'. Alicia followed her line of sight, eyes landing on the picture of a beautiful dress.

"Leesh…it's perfect." Ange whispered, picking up the catalogue. The blonde girl nodded slowly.

"Absolutely perfect."

* * *

A few weeks later, and Alicia found herself preparing for the ball in a room full of her friends. Angelina and Patricia, her roommates, were fixing applying makeup in front of the mirror, while Katie pulled on her dress. She and Fred still had not made up, but Katie seemed genuinely excited about the night regardless. Leanne stood next to her, done with her preparations and bored, anticipating her date with the charming Beauxbatons boy who asked her to the ball. She noticed Alicia struggling with her hair, and decided to intervene.

"Here, let me help." The dark haired girl lifting the hem of her purple dress and climbed her way over the mountain of clothes and pillows strewn across the floor. She took the potion bottle from Alicia's hand, smearing a bit of the rose-scented goo onto her wand. Then, she twirled strands of the petite girl's wavy hair around the wand, muttering a heating charm. She did this multiple times, until Alicia's head was covered in beautiful ringlets.

"That's the only helpful trick I've ever learned from reading Witch Weekly," Leanne told the girl, smiling. She set down her wand and pulled back the ringlets, twisting them into an elegant knot. With a standard holding spell, she secured the hairdo, letting a few rings fall onto Alicia's neck.

"Gorgeous. Absolutely stunning." Leanne smiled, admiring her work. Alicia grinned gratefully and stood up, seeing that the others were finished as well.

The group walked down the stairs, chatting excitedly as they reached the common room. Angelina was instantly swept away by Fred, who avoided Katie's eyes and stared at Angelina like he had just won a million galleons. Cormac followed quickly, taking Katie by the hand. His roommate shyly offered his arm to Patricia, and then Alicia and Leanne were left on their own.

The two girls walked to the Great Hall together, and watched as the champions danced with their dates. Poor Harry looked so lost among the older, more graceful students, but his friend, Hermione, looked perfectly at ease as she danced with Viktor Krum. As soon as the dance was over, however, Leanne was swept away by her date, and Alicia made her way to the grounds, hoping desperately that this wasn't some cruel joke.

The air was cold, and Alicia suddenly regretted her choice of dress. Sure, it was beautiful, but it was strapless, and she had forgotten to bring a cloak. But still, she mused, the white chiffon looked stunning in the moonlight. And she supposed that a little hypothermia wouldn't kill her as long as her dress was pretty.

She approached the rose bushes clasping her hands together. There, on the bench next to the stature, was…no one. Her heart sank, and she practically collapsed onto the cold stone bench, tears forming in her eyes. So much for a mysterious admirer.

Alicia swallowed back her tears and stood up, figuring she could get a dance out of Harry just to freak his date out. As she made to leave, a voice called out to her.

"Wait, wait, I'm here! I'm here!" A boy ran towards her, panting slightly. "Had to escape from Filch. Thought I was going to set off some dungbombs or something…"

"George?" She asked, stunned. There, panting and grinning nervously, was George Weasley, the object of her affections since first year. "Wait. _You_ sent that note?"

He grinned, nodding. "Yep. I know you had your heart set on Mr. Perfect or whoever, but I couldn't let him steal you away from me."

Alicia gaped at him, eyes wide. He misread her look, and his face fell.

"Unless you don't want to. I'd understand if you wanted to spend the night with him. I'll even help you get his attention. I just…I really like you, Leesh. You're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen."

Feeling like she was going to faint, Alicia just stared at him, dumbstruck. His face fell even more, and he sighed. "May I at least ask who this amazing guy is? Before I go soak my head and try to forget I didn't just get turned down."

Alicia found it hard to move her mouth, but when she did, she laughed. George wasn't sure how to react, so he just stood there, staring curiously at the girl.

"George…that boy I was telling you about, the one I wanted to ask…is you." His face lit up. "I was describing you, silly boy."

He grinned widely taking both of her hands in his. He leaned his forehead against hers, and as he leaned in to kiss her, she asked, "What did you mean by, 'You are the moon'?"

He grinned, looking up at the sky. She looked too, confused.

"You see all those stars?" She nodded, entranced by their sparkling magnificence. "Sure, they're pretty, but they're nothing compared to the moon." It was true; the moon was gorgeous tonight, full and bright. It illuminated everything around them, basking the world in an ethereal glow.

He continued, playing with her fingers a bit. "You see, the moon isn't typically attractive. It isn't like all those stars, all shiny and showy. The moon is stunning, brilliant, ever-changing. It's odd-looking, yes, a giant rock in the sky, but no one can deny that the moon is beautiful. That is why you are the moon."

He looked back at her, and she lowered her head slowly, meeting his gaze. Their lips touched, and Alicia felt George's hands release hers, traveling up to gently clasp each side of her neck. She placed her hands softly on his chest, leaning in to deepen the kiss.

"Let's go in. You're freezing." George whispered as they broke the kiss, rubbing his thumb across her freckled cheek.

"It is a tad cold out," she laughed, and the two headed inside, hand-in-hand. The night grew darker as they danced and laughed, and the stars dimmed. But the moon shone on, radiating its splendor across the sky.

**As much as I love the idea of dress robes, I just had a vision of Alicia in that dress. So, of course, I had to put the others in dresses, too.**

**It's funny. While I always imagined Katie to be the least attractive of the three, I always saw Alicia as the one with self-image issues. Weird, huh?**


	12. Dark

Title: Dark  
Characters: Katie, Fred, Alicia, George, Angelina  
Pairings: Katie/Fred(friendship), Katie/Oliver (unrequited), Fred/Angelina  
Quote: "I hold it true, whate'er befall; I feel it, when I sorrow most; 'Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all." -Alfred Lord Tennyson  
**Notes: BTW, a good song to create the right the mood is Corbeau by Coeur de Pirate. Yes, it is in French. Does that matter? No. It's one of my favorite songs, and the melody fits perfectly. Lyrics…? Who knows?**

_**Dark**_

Katie sat at her tiny kitchen table, a mug of lukewarm tea grasped in her hands. Her eyes were itchy and sore from crying and her throat ached with the tears she was holding back. She brought the cup to her lips, cringing at the sour taste of the murky brown liquid that passed over her tongue.

A quiet "pop" announced the arrival of Fred Weasley, who looked exactly as Katie felt – tired, distressed, and on the verge of tears. He sat down across from her, holding his head in his hands.

Neither spoke for a moment, waiting for the other to spill out their hearts and troubles. Finally Fred spoke, voice cracking. "Angelina broke up with me. She packed up and moved in with Alicia, saying I was too _immature_ for a relationship. Didn't yell at all. Just sort of whispered a goodbye and left me standing there."

Katie reached out, grasping his hand in hers. "I'm sorry, Fred. But she'll come around. It's Angie we're talking about. Her mum probably just scared her out of a relationship with one of her horror stories of bankrupt marriages and the likes. She loves you."

Fred shook his head. "This was different, Kit. This was for real. She's gone, and she's not coming back."

On any other night, Katie would have argued with the boy until he ended up apparating over to Angelina's place to make up with her. But tonight, she didn't have the energy. Not after she had her own heart ripped to pieces.

They both sat in silence again, until Fred asked, "Are you okay?"

Katie nodded, but a single tear escaped, breaking down her whole façade. A couple more spilled out, and she shook her head violently, covering her face with her hands. Fred rushed to her side, kneeling down next to her.

"O-O-Oliver is e-engaged!" She sobbed, clenching her fists. "To that damn Louisa girl he's been dating! I've been trying so hard! I thought after all we went through together, he was starting to feel the same way. But, no! He goes off and ignores me and dates stupid groupies and –"

Fred wrapped both arms around Katie, saying nothing. They both were broken, cut to pieces by the people they loved the most. It hurt so badly, and all they could do was comfort each other.

"Come on, Kit," Fred said, pulling the girl from her chair. They stumbled to Katie's tiny bed, which served as a couch half of the time in her two-room flat. She cried into his shirt some more, and he even allowed himself a small sob.

Katie calmed down after a couple minutes, wiping at her cheeks and hiccupping a bit, and Fred blinked back the tears that pestered his eyes. They sat in silence for a moment, until Katie spoke.

"We're pathetic. Look at us! Sitting here, sobbing over our heartache like a group of prepubescent girls!" She stood up, throwing her hands in the air. "There may be no hope for me and Oliver, but there sure as Hell is hope for you and Angie."

Fred sighed, standing up as well. "There really isn't, Kit. Just leave it be."

She rounded on him, the depression on her face overcome by anger. "No! Dammit, Fred, I will not _leave it be_. Not when you have the chance to be _happy_. Ange is just scared or something. Talk to her, tell her you love her!" She grabbed the front of his shirt, shaking it in frustration. "Make her see that you love her."

Fred detached Katie's hands from his chest, shaking his head. "Isn't that what _you_ should be doing? Tell Oliver you love him, now, before he marries that girl. Angelina is through with me, I know it. But Oliver – he cares for you Katie, I know he does. Make him see what he's losing."

Katie threw her hands into the air. "What do you think I've been trying to do since my second year? I flirt, I date other guys to make him jealous, I listen to him when no one else does; what more could I do?" She fell down onto her bed, much quieter than before. "Besides. He loves Louisa. I can't ruin that for him. He's so happy around her, and I love to see him happy."

Fred sat next to her, rubbing her shoulder. "Yeah, and I love to see _you_ happy. This," he motioned to her red eyes and sad face. "This is not happy. _Tell him._"

Katie huffed indignantly. "Only if you go talk to Angelina. I'm telling you, by giving up, you're throwing away something precious!"

Fred gripped her shoulders, shaking her slightly. "That's what I'm trying to tell _you_! You and Oliver could have something! It would work if you just told him you loved him!"

Katie nearly screamed. "BUT HE DOESN'T LOVE ME! ANGELINA LOVES YOU! You're situation is much simpler than mine!"

Fred growled. "Angelina doesn't love me! I don't think she ever has, at least not as much as I love her! Oh, damn it!" He swooped down on Katie, kissing her roughly. She pulled back, a look of shock on her face, then kissed him again. Angry and hurt, they fell back onto Katie's bed, a tangle of arms and legs. Katie pulled out for air, panting slightly.

"Fred… we shouldn't…this is so _wrong…_" she whispered, gasping slightly as kissed the crook of her neck.

His lips met her ear, and he whispered back, "But tonight it feels so _right_. I know you need this as much as I do…Katie…"

His hands trailed down her waist, lingering at the edge of her shirt. She kissed him again, then said, voice wavering a bit, "We're going to regret this in the morning."

Fred laughed grimly, then pressed his lips to hers again. Katie wrapped both legs around his waist, pulling his body closer to hers. She could feel his heart beating rapidly against his ribcage as she slid a hand up his shirt. It was there, beating away into her palm, as if trying to prove to the world that it had not been crushed by a beautiful girl. She held that position, relishing the feeling of life under her fingertips.

Suddenly, the shirt was gone, and the cool air made the warmth of Fred's chest a greater testament to the life of his heart. It was still there, crying out beneath her hand.

And then her shirt was gone as well, and two rough hands traveled across her stomach. Goosebumps traveled up her spine, intensifying as she fumbled with the buttons of her jeans.

Fred groped at the bedside table, knocking over Katie's clock as he reached for his wand. He waved it, and the room went dark.

* * *

Fred opened his eyes to darkness. The blinds were shut tightly, and the clock on the floor read 5:45. George was bound to be up soon, and he really didn't want to explain where he had been.

Careful not to wake Katie, he slipped from the tiny bed, grabbing his pants from where they were strewn across the kitchen chair. He dressed quickly, and just as he grabbed the doorknob, a quiet voice came from the other side of the room.

"Weasley, we need to talk." Fred looked to see Katie propped up on her elbow, pulling the covers to her collarbone. He sighed, and walked back to the bed, sitting down. Katie sat up, pulling the covers around her as best she could.

"No need for modesty, Kit. We're _way_ past that point." Fred laughed slightly, looking at the ground. Katie shoved him slightly with her shoulder, smiling a bit.

"I told you we'd regret this in the morning," she whispered, looking away. Fred shook his head, resting his elbows on his knees.

"I don't regret that, Kit. Sure, it's going to be awkward as Hell between us for the next couple of weeks, but I can live with that."

She stared at him, eyebrows raised. "You honestly don't regret sleeping with your best friend? Have you gone completely insane?"

He chuckled, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "Kit, I've done a lot of stupid things in my life. I just don't count this as one of them. So we had angry, frustrated sex? We've always known there was sexual tension between us. Now it's gone. Sort of."

Katie sighed, shrugging. "I suppose you're right. But don't you feel guilty? I mean, you did _just _break up with Angelina."

He looked down, smile faltering a bit. "Yeah, I do feel guilty. But I don't regret it. It was a nice shag between two friends, nothing more…right?"

"Of course," Katie said. "We'll never be anything but friends, Fred. You know this as well as I do."

He smiled sadly, kissing her forehead. "You're beautiful, Katie. But you're not the girl for me."

He stood up, and Katie followed, dragging the bedcovers with her. Her hair fell around her collarbone limply, and, wrapped in only sheets, she looked incredibly small to Fred. Back at Hogwarts, she had been the bright one. The one who shouted and dazzled with vibrant life as she caused mischief by his side. But lately – after her stint in St. Mungo's, after she fled into hiding from the muggleborn snatchers, after the man she loved broke her heart – she had fallen into darkness. Fred missed his best friend.

"Cheer up, Kit. We'll land you your Mr. Right in no time. Just you see," Fred whispered, pulling her into a tight hug. She nodded sadly, sitting back down on the bed.

That damn Wood was going to pay. Fred was livid, and was severely tempted to apparate over to Oliver's place at once to teach him a lesson. But he knew George and Alicia would already notice his disappearance, so he resisted. With one last look at his best friend, Fred backed out the front door, leaving Katie to sit alone in the dark.

* * *

Sneaking into shop did not go as Fred planned. Seeing as Angelina was now living with Alicia, he did not expect the latter to be the one opening up. Unfortunately for his alibi, she was there, stocking shelves towards the front of the store. As he slid through the back entrance, her high-pitched voice drifted back to his ears.

"George? That you?"

He froze, then shouted back, "Yes, my love!"

She laughed, popping up in front of him with a rather large box in her arms. "Fred, it's been a while since you were able to fool me with that one."

He shrugged, grinning cockily. Maybe she wouldn't ask, maybe she wouldn't be her usual, curious self.

"Where were you?"

Or maybe not.

"I, er…I was Katie's." It's not a lie, he told himself. Don't feel guilty. "I…got drunk last night, after, you know…and I crashed at Kit's." Now _that_ was a blatant lie. Good thing Alicia couldn't read him like Katie and Angelina could.

"Oh." That was it? No scolding, no sympathy? Very unlike Alicia. "Are you lying to me?"

That damn curiosity.

"No." He said the word coolly and nonchalantly. He was an experienced liar, avoiding trouble like he did, but he felt she still didn't believe him.

"You slept with someone, didn't you?" Damn that girl! She spent way too much time around George.

"I, er…" At this point, Fred figured there was no use in lying. "Yeah."

She smiled sadly, setting her box on the ground. Before Fred could react, she wrapped him a tight hug, her tiny arms squeezing the life out of him. "Oh, Fred. I'm so sorry. I don't know what got into Ange. She loves you, I know she does."

He grimaced. Having this argument had led to him and Katie shagging – he figured it would safe just to nod and humor the tiny, naïve girl.

"So…who was it?" She pulled away, an impish grin on her face. Fred felt the color drain from his cheeks.

"Oh, er, I can't really remember. Just some leggy blonde I picked up in a muggle pub." He really did hate lying to Alicia, but he couldn't tell her it was Katie.

"Oh." Once again with the un-Alicia-like remarks. "Then why are you embarrassed about it? This certainly isn't your first one-night stand with a stranger."

Damn it! He knew he really shouldn't keep jinxing himself.

"Ah, er, she…I mean…she just…oh, morning George!" His twin quirked his eyebrows in response, kissing Alicia on the temple as he passed by.

"Er, morning Fred. You're…chipper today." He picked up Alicia's box, examining the contents inside.

"It's because he got laid last night." The twins spun to face Alicia in unison. George stared at her wide-eyed, shocked that words of that blatantly crude caliber came from his girlfriend's mouth. Fred glared at her, eyes narrowed.

"Oh, don't give me that look, Fred. He's your twin – he would figure it out. For one, you reek of sex. Two, your shirt is on backwards. Three, you're not wearing underwear-"

George cut in. "How do you know he's not wearing underwear?"

"Yeah! How could you tell?" Fred joined his twin, slightly panicked.

Alicia giggled. "I couldn't. You just told me."

The boys sighed in unison, one in relief, the other in defeat. George spoke first, levitating the box to float back into the storeroom. "So…who was it? It wasn't Ange, was it?"

Before Fred could reply, Alicia cut in. "Nope. But it obviously someone we know, 'cause he's getting awfully embarrassed."

Fred glared at his brother's girlfriend, arms crossed. "Nope. Just some muggle girl I picked up."

George rolled his eyes in disbelief. "So, Ange is out. And, obviously, _you_." Alicia nodded fervently, taking her boyfriend's hand. "Hmm. Was it some hot Slytherin who was a total bitch at school?" Fred shook his head. "Hufflepuff?" Another shake of the head. "Ravenclaw?" Fred sighed, once again shaking his head.

"So it _has_ to be someone we know! A Gryffindor!" Alicia said, eyes lighting up a bit. Fred said nothing, answering the couple with his silence.

"Ooh! Okay! Well, Ginny is out for obvious reasons, as are Ange and I. Patricia Hudson?" Alicia asked, clasping her hands together.

"No."

"Um. Hermione Granger?"

"No."

"Lavender Brown?"

"Nope."

"Eleanor Briggins?"

"Nuh-uh."

"Olivia Owens?"

"No."

"What year was she in?"

Fred threw up his hands in exasperation. "I'm not playing this game with you, Leesh! Just leave me alone!"

The small girl pouted, placing her hands on her hips. "I don't see why you're getting so defensive about this! Unless…no, it's not…"

George looked at her, eyebrows raised. "Not…who?"

Alicia blushed a bit, ashamed of even thinking of two of her friends hooking up. "Well…was it Katie?"

Though he kept his expression cool, Fred knew his reddening ears gave it away. George stared at him in shock, mouth hanging open a bit.

"Alright, alright! It was Katie! Now just let me go angst in peace, okay?" Fred ran up the stairs leading to his and George's flat. As he burst into his dark room, he felt all of his walls fall down. Breaking up with Angelina, sleeping with his best friend…it was all too much to contain. Burrowing his face into his shabby pillow, Fred Weasley did something he was rarely known to do – he cried.

* * *

Katie was tidying up her darkened room when Alicia came in, a sad smile on her face.

"I suppose Fred's told you, then?"

Alicia nodded, biting her lip. "Katie…"

Katie sighed. "It's nothing, Leesh. Just frustrated, angsty sex. Really."

The tiny, blonde girl frowned. "I just don't want you to get hurt, Kit."

Katie laughed bitterly, straightening her lamp. "It's too late for that."

"Then why'd you sleep with him? You knew he just needed comfort! Why'd you bring this on yourself, Katie?"

The taller girl narrowed her eyes in confusion, then realized what Alicia was saying.

"No, Leesh. Fred didn't hurt me. It's because I was already hurt that I slept with him. It was a mutual angst-fest."

Alicia frowned even more. "Hurt? Why?"

Katie sighed. "Oliver's engaged."

And with that, Katie completely lost it, sinking down onto her bed in tears.

* * *

"Mate, we need to talk." George walked into Fred's room after Alicia returned from Katie's, bearing news of a crying girl.

Fred looked up, eyes puffy and red. George sat on the edge of his bed, sighing.

"Why'd you do it?"

Fred looked down, running a hand though his hair. "I was upset. So was she. We needed a release."

George felt uncomfortable discussing his brother's sex life, but persisted anyways. "But, over a break-up? Really, Fred, is that a good reason to make life even harder on yourself and your best friend?"

"What would you have done?" Fred sat up a bit more, a sad look on his face.

George sighed. "Well, I certainly would not have slept with my best friend."

"Really? I think you and Lee have great chemistry."

"You know what I mean. Isn't that a bit…extreme?"

Fred rubbed the back of his neck, frowning. "Yeah. But you don't understand. You _can't _understand. You see? You have Alicia. You've _always_ had Alicia. And even if you two break up, you'll still have had her. Angelina, though? I've _never_ had her. Not really. It just took this break-up for me to realize it."

George nodded slowly as he absorbed this information. It made sense, sort of, he supposed. "But what about Katie? Didn't you think of her feelings at all?"

Fred closed his eyes, leaning his head against his headboard. "I _was_ thinking of Katie's feelings. Why do you think I slept with her?"

George huffed, crossing his arms. "Is that really fair to her?"

Fred quirked his eyebrows. "What are you talking about?"

His twin sighed. "You took advantage of Katie's feelings towards you to relieve your own pain."

Fred stared at him in shock for a second, then chuckled darkly. "One, when did you become a therapist? Two, Katie doesn't have any romantic feelings towards me. She was relieving pain as much as I was."

George tilted his head, slightly disturbed by this news. "What pain…?"

"Didn't you hear? Oliver's engaged. Katie's world has come crashing down."

* * *

Katie walked into her flat late the next night, exhausted and still pretty upset. It had been a long day at work, and honestly, she hadn't slept very well after shagging Fred. Her dreams had been plagued with nightmares, causing her to toss and turn all night.

She was surprised to find Fred sitting at her kitchen table, reading her copy of the Daily Prophet. He looked up, a sad smile on his face.

"Seriously, Fred. Two nights in a row seems a bit desperate, don't you think?" He laughed lightly, setting down the paper.

"I'm not here for a shag, Kit. Just came by to see how you were doing."

She smiled, sitting across from him. "I'm okay. You?"

He shrugged. "Alicia and Fred found out. I swore them to secrecy, though."

Katie sighed in reply, shrugging out of her work robes. She tossed them onto her bed, the leaned back in her chair, relishing the free feeling of her muggle clothes. They always got so hot under her robes, but she refused to wear the silly, matching, pajama-like clothes wizards generally wore under theirs.

"You left your underwear here, by the way." She stood up and crossed the room, crouching by the side of her bed. Fred followed, watching as she searched for his undergarments. As she was wrestling with his boxers, which were caught on _something_ (Merlin knew what), Fred noticed a small bottle on her nightstand. The label read: _Lady Isabel's Contraceptive Potion For The Paranoid Witch_.

"Did you take this last night?" He asked, pointing to bottle. Now that he thought back to the previous night, he honestly couldn't remember his lips parting from hers long enough for the potion to be consumed.

Katie just laughed, tossing him his boxers. "Don't worry Fred. I would never burden the world with our demon spawn."

He grinned, but it didn't meet his eyes. Katie noticed, and touched his arm, smile fading. "You alright?"

Fred shook his head. "Not really. Can I stay here tonight?"

Katie shot him a _you've-got-to-be-kidding-me_ look, and he backtracked quickly. "Not in _that_ way. I just meant, can I sleep here? I really don't want to go home. Everything reminds me of her. My pillow still smells like her shampoo, her toothbrush is still in my bathroom, her best friend practically lives in the shop… I just… I can't be there right now."

Katie nodded, patting her bed for him to sit down. She changed into her pajamas quickly, brushed her teeth, and washed her face, then quickly came back out to find a shirtless Fred Weasley.

"Trying to seduce me, eh, Weasley?" She asked, extinguishing the light from her lamp.

Through the darkness, she could make out his grin. "It worked last night, Bell. Besides, my shirt reeks of gunpowder and doxie pus. I figured you wouldn't want to sleep with that delicious scent."

She laughed softly and crawled into the small bed, nestling her head against Fred's chest.

Fred sighed, and his whispers carried through the dark to Katie's ears.

"We have to be the most screwed-up people I've ever met."

* * *

Another slow day passed, until, once again, Fred found himself apparating to Katie's flat. When he arrived though, an unnerving sight met his eyes.

The tiny kitchen/livingroom/bedroom was almost completely empty, except for the bed and a group of boxes.

"Fred? Are Fred and Alicia that annoying? Do you really have nowhere better to be than in my flat?" A slightly amused, practically naked Katie stood in the doorframe leading to her bathroom. A towel was wrapped around her dripping body, her hair dark and wet draped down her bare shoulders.

"Are you leaving?" He asked, ignoring all of her questions. Her smile faded, and she nodded slowly.

"I was going to owl you. Charlie offered me a position on the reservation a week ago, and I responded this morning. I'm leaving for Romania tomorrow."

"Katie-" Fred started, but the witch stopped him.

"No, Fred. I'm leaving, and nothing you say will stop me."

He smiled sadly, pulling her into a hug. "I wasn't going to try to stop you. I was going to say that I was really going to miss you and to stay safe."

Her arms tightened around his back, and she murmured, "Thanks, Fred."

"Woah! We're not interrupting anything, are we?" Alicia, Leanne, and Angelina stood in Katie's doorway, all dressed nicely for a night on the town.

"I'll be ready in just a second!" Katie said, grabbing her clothes and running into the bathroom. Fred and Angelina made eye contact, then looked away awkwardly.

"We'll just be outside then," Alicia mumbled, closing the door. Fred fell back onto Katie's bed, sighing.

In no time at all, Katie was out of the bathroom, dressed, hair dry, makeup on. She gave Fred a brief hug and whispered, "You can stay here if you don't want to go home."

He nodded gratefully, waving as she left with her friends.

* * *

Katie wasn't sure how many drinks she had consumed, but she was feeling rather tipsy. Though it might have just been the alcohol, with every passing second the witch grew more and more annoyed with her friends. How could they just go on all happy-like when the world was obviously ending? How could Angelina sit here _laughing_ after she broke the heart of Katie's best friend? How could the others be so _okay_ with it?

As they left the pub, something stirred in Katie. As the blackness of the night enveloped the group of friends, something dark emerged in the witch's mind. A sort of blind anger, a frustration and sadness that she had been trying so hard to keep inside.

"So, what _was_ Fred doing at your place tonight, Katie?" Angelina asked, genuinely curious.

The darkness seeped out. "Oh, I don't know, escaping all memories of the-the _bitch_ who broke his heart?"

"Katie!" Alicia exclaimed. Leanne covered her mouth in shock, looking at Angelina, then Katie.

"Well, she wanted-wanted the truth!" She slurred, anger rising. A light rain had started to fall, and the girls stood on a near-empty street in muggle London.

"I highly doubt I 'broke his heart', Bell. Not after your little one-night stand." Angelina hissed, eyes narrowing.

Leanne gasped. Katie turned on Alicia. "You were-were _sworn_ to secrecy!" The petite blonde girl backed away, an apologetic look on her face.

"Oh, don't take it out on Alicia!" Angelina grabbed Katie's shoulder, forcing the shorter witch to face her. "She was just being a good friend."

Katie growled, shoving Angelina back. "And I was being a good friend to Fred. I was just trying to reverse some of the damage _you_ did to him!"

Angelina shoved her back, glaring. "What the hell did I do to him? We broke up, _big deal_. I'm not the first girl to break up with him, and I wont be the last!"

The darkness took complete control, and Katie found herself launched at Angelina. Her fist collided with the taller girl's face, while Angelina's knee met her ribs.

"Then what the FUCK did you do to him? He's a fucking mess!" Alicia screamed, and Leanne looked like she had seen a ghost.

"I told him that I needed a man who _loved_ me! That's it! I didn't 'break his heart!' He broke mine!"

"You LIAR!" Katie shouted as Angelina flipped over, pinning the witch's arms to the ground.

"It's true, Bell. I broke up with him because he didn't love me. It's as simple as that." The hitting had ceased, and Katie's squirming had died down. The darkness drained from her mind slowly, and she was able to form rational thought.

"Then you're an idiot." The words were quiet and harsh. Alicia had burst into tears, and Leanne was motionless with shock.

"Wha-" Angelina started, but Katie cut her off.

"You're an idiot. Because I have never met a boy who was more in love than Fred Weasley. You are his world. Why can't you see that?"

Angelina rolled off of Katie, a confused look on her face. "But you two-"

Katie waved the unasked question away. "We were both hurting. We needed comfort. Doesn't _anyone_ understand this?"

"Both? Why were you hurting?" Angelina's question nearly triggered the darkness again, but Katie shook it off, standing up,

"Oliver's engaged." The group fell silent, afraid of upsetting Katie again. Angelina nodded in understanding, a sad look in her eyes.

The person to break the silence was Katie. "You know, Ange. He's still at my flat. You should go talk to him."

Angelina nodded, a distant look on her face, and apparated away. Alicia and Leanne turned to Katie, who was rubbing her ribs absent-mindedly. Without a word to her friends, she walked off into the now-raining dark, in great need of solitude.

* * *

Fred started as a figure apparated into Katie's darkened flat. "Kit, that you?" He asked, lighting his wand.

"Er, no, Fred. It's me." Angelina walked forward, lip split and cheek bruised.

"Ange, what happened to you?" He reached out to touch her injured lip, then pulled his hand away, looking down.

"Katie happened. Had a bit too much to drink. Told me off. Beat some sense into me…literally." She chuckled softly, then looked at Fred, a sad gleam in her eye.

"You just got pummeled by Katie Bell and you're _laughing_?" He asked quietly.

"Fred, I was an idiot." He blinked, surprised by the change in conversation. "I was…scared. I thought you didn't love me. I didn't want to end up in a hopeless relationship like my mum did. I love you."

Fred blinked a couple more times, then started laughing. "Can you believe it? Merlin's Beard! Katie was right about something!"

Angelina grinned, taking Fred's hand. "Does this mean…?"

He smiled softly, pressing his lips to hers. She wrapped him a tight embrace, then broke the kiss, standing up.

"Can we go back to your place? Katie'll probably be home soon." Fred nodded, grinning widely, and took his girlfriend's hand. Together, they apparated out of the darkness of the flat, back home.

* * *

Another day passed, and Katie found herself lugging a duffle bag of clothing to the portkey spot. Fred, Angelina, Alicia, George, Leanne, Lee, and even Harry and Ginny had all come to see her off. Oliver had not.

Granted, she had not told Oliver that she was leaving the country, seeing as she could barely look at him anymore, but a small part of her hoped he would show up, fiancé-free, as her prince charming and convince to stay in England. But she wasn't a princess, and she wasn't getting her happily-ever-after.

Katie went down the line, hugging each friend tightly as they told her to stay safe and come home soon. Fred was last, and she hugged him, her closest friend in the entire world, the tightest of all.

"I'll miss you, Kit," he said, refusing to let go.

"I know. I'll try to be home soon." They both knew that was a lie, but they smiled anyways as they released their hug. Hoisting her bag onto her shoulder, Katie waved to her friends one last time as she gripped onto the portkey. And at once, she disappeared, gone from the darkness of the night.


	13. Fire

Title: Fire  
Characters: Katie, Charlie, Nora, Ginny  
Pairings: Katie/Oliver  
Notes: Ginny here is basically the personality I made up for her when I first read about her, not the Ginny-Sue that she became in the last few books. Hope I did a decent job with it, and enjoy!

**_Fire_**

Katie loved the life-and-death thrill of training dragons. She loved the adrenaline rush, the feeling of blood pumping desperately though her veins, the way she felt _alive_.

Because she wasn't alive. Not really.

_He _was engaged. _He _loved someone else. _He_ would never know how much Katie loved him. And that killed her.

Fire curled dangerously close to her head, and Katie dodged, rolling over on her broomstick. The voices of the other trainers called out to her, but Katie just laughed. What were they so afraid of?

"Katie, get you arse down here! You're going to get yourself killed!" Charlie Weasley had always seen Katie as his little sister, considering the amount of time she spent around the twins, but Katie just scoffed at his worry.

_It's just death._

"I got it, Charlie! Don't worry!" Katie shouted back, urging her broom to go faster. He tried to protest, but with the wind in her ears, Katie could hear nothing.

There had been a few times when Katie truly thought Oliver loved her. They never kissed, never said those three special words, but the way he looked at her – she was almost certain. But those moments passed quickly, and he moved on to some Puddlemere fangirl, leaving Katie to cry herself to sleep.

But Katie was tired of crying. When he announced his engagement, she was gone, off to Romania where the only thing to crush your heart was the claw of a dragon.

Fred had protested. He knew how dangerous Charlie's work was, and after losing Percy in the war, he refused to lose his best friend, too. But he knew Katie's love for Oliver, and in the end he let her go.

_Let me go,_ she thought, scoffing. _Like he could have stopped me._

It was true, Katie was a force of nature. Loud, strong, almost dangerous, she took on the dragons like they were puppies (and was starting to collect a beautiful array of scars to prove it.) They crawled across her skin like needlework, melting her façade and presenting her broken state to the world. She was poorly patched together, ready to fall apart.

The dragon howled, blasting another coil of flames towards her. She dodged it again, aiming a beautifully perfected stunning spell towards the beast's eyes. The dragon stumbled backwards, and two of the other keepers were able to throw chains around its neck, pinning it to the ground.

Katie let out a whoop, punching her fist into the air. Charlie Weasley let out an audible sigh, speeding over to help the other chain up the dragon. Katie took a victory lap, laughing.

"Bell! Watch out!" Nora, one of the few girls there and Katie's roommate, shouted, a panicked tone in her voice. Katie spun to see the dragon's tail slam down on her, the spikes driving into her shoulder.

The world seemed to spin, and Katie could feel the rocky round against her back, the stake-like spines of the dragon's tail impaling her painfully. The sky was a lovely shade of blue (her favorite kind of day) and something hot and sticky was soaking her clothes. Katie vaguely wondered if she was dying.

When she came to, she recognized the pale ceiling of the nursing station, and almost cried. She had been so close to death, she could almost _taste_ it. It had been so sweet, so addictive, so _real_.

"Katie, are you awake?" Charlie asked (when did he get here?). Katie nodded, groaning as her shoulder seemed to burst into flames.

"Oh, girl, you scared us!" Nora let out a breath of relief, taking hold of Katie's hand. "That Long-Horn took a good swing at you. We thought you were a goner for sure!"

_If only_. "How long have I been here?" Katie asked, struggling to sit up. Charlie pushed her back down (gently, off course) and shook his head.

"A day. You're only halfway through the healing process, and Healer Barbu says you'll have to go through some physical therapy to get that shoulder working right."

Katie nodded. "When can I start up work again?"

Nora looked at Charlie. "Well, Kate, we think you should take some time off work. You've been getting a bit reckless lately, and we don't want you to re-injure yourself so quickly. We were thinking you should take a vacation, go home-"

"No." The word flew from Katie's mouth, nearly cutting her lips with its sharpness (and who could really blame the poor girl?). Nora looked taken aback, but Charlie nodded with understanding.

"How about this, then: you'll work in the nursery with the trainees while you complete your physical therapy, and then you can work your way up to the big boys again. Sound like a deal?" Charlie asked, grinning sadly.

Katie nodded (the memory of home constricted her throat so tightly she could no longer speak). The two got up to leave, but Katie grabbed onto Charlie's hand.

"Please," she half-whispered, her throat still clenched. "Don't tell Fred and George. Especially Fred. He'll be up here trying to ship me back to England, and you know I can't go back. Not yet."

Charlie nodded, wishing that he didn't have to hide this from his family. But he figured it was for the best that they didn't see Katie like this (they would have enough to deal with when they eventually saw all of her new scars).

So when Katie was finally allowed to sleep in her own bed again, she was absolutely shocked to find Ginny in her room, chatting happily with Nora. They both looked up at her arrival, the latter making some excuse to leave the two alone. Katie just about turned around and walked out the door, when Ginny grabbed her hand, holding her back.

"He didn't tell the twins. Just me. Please don't be mad at Charlie," Ginny pleaded as Katie turned to face her. Katie said nothing, opting just to sit on her bed and stare at the girl (She really hadn't changed a lot; her hair was still pulled into those silly, messy braids, and even here, now, she had dirt on her face, under her nails, on her jeans. She smelled faintly of flowers, and her freckled face was scratched a little.)

"I was worried, Katie. Charlie was so upset, saying that you wouldn't let him tell the twins, which meant he couldn't tell Mum or Dad, and he figured Bill would be too responsible about it, and Ron can't keep his mouth shut, but he had to tell _someone_. So he wrote me up and made me _swear_ I wouldn't tell anyone, and I did, but he still seemed worried so I came up here to see you. I had to tell Harry, understand, but he's a good liar. Ron and Hermione and the twins think I'm visiting Luna and Rolf this weekend, so no one will know you're hurt. Is that okay?" The pretty redhead twirled the end of a braid between her fingers, looking down (Yes, she was still the sweet, nervous little girl that Katie had come to love as a sister).

"Yeah, Ginny, it's okay. You just surprised me, is all." Katie looked down as Ginny sat next to her, lacing their fingers together.

"I just…I was worried you weren't okay. I mean, I knew Charlie said you were on the mend, but I don't mean physically. I mean, Fred says you were completely heartbroken when you left England." Ginny said, gasping quietly when she noticed Katie's scars.

"I'm fine, Gin. I just…need some more time away. You understand, don't you?" The redhead nodded, tracing her fingers up and down Katie's scars.

"Yeah, I guessed that was what you were going to say. Just… just come home eventually, Kit. Please?" She began twirling her hair again, and Katie clasped the girl's tiny hand between both of her own.

"I promise, Ginny. I'm not running away. Just…vacationing." Ginny stood, ready to go see her brother and leave Katie in peace.

"Some vacation. You look like a dragon's chew-toy."

Katie gave the girl a smile as she left, closing the door behind her.

* * *

A few months later and Katie was back on her broom, wrestling with a Horntail as Charlie shouted at her for being too risky. Life was normal (which was good, right?).

No major injuries occurred with this one, except for a new scar on Katie's leg. Charlie was reprimanding her for putting her life in danger(same old, same old) when an owl swooped into the dining hall where they were eating, dropping a letter onto Katie's lap. She recognized Ginny's neat scribble and tore it open, mouth still full of cereal. She swallowed hard, then dropped the parchment like it burned her. Charlie watched curiously as she ran off, then picked up the letter and read.

_Katie,_

_Oliver's engagement has been called off._

_Come home._

_Ginny_

He stood, and jogged out the door, searching the reservation buildings until he found her curled up inside on of the pens in the nursery, playing with a baby Short-Snout.

"Katie?" He asked, crouching down next to her. "You okay?"

"M'fine, Charlie. Really. Just wanted some quality time with Xavier." He rolled his eyes. Of _course_ she would have already named it.

"Seriously, Kate, are you okay? Does this mean you're going home?" She looked at him like he had gone insane.

"Of course not! Just because the man I love is no longer getting married doesn't mean I'm going back to throw myself at his feet! Louisa was not the first girl, and she won't be the last. I've been trying to catch Oliver Wood since I was twelve, and he's ignored ever, single, _fucking_ advance that I made on him. It will never happen, and I know this now. I like living here, I love working here. I have friends and a good job and I don't need Oliver _Fucking _Wood." There was a fire in her voice that Charlie had never heard before, and frankly, it scared him.

Her voice softened. "I'll go home, eventually. I miss Fred and Alicia so horribly, and I miss George and Angie and Leanne and Lee and Ginny and Harry and Mama Weasley and everyone! But I'm not ready. Not just yet."

Xavier shot a little burst of fire, and Charlie could almost swear he saw Katie move her arm _into_ the flames. This girl really did have a death wish.

"Oh, don't give me that look," she snapped, dangling her finger above the dragon's mouth. "It feels good. Baby fire is weak, look! Barely a burn. Honestly, you worry as much as your sister."

Charlie was about to protest when the bells signaled the end of breakfast. "Come on, time to get back to work."

They suited up and took flight, but Charlie was barely able to concentrate with his newfound worries about Katie. He knew she had always been reckless, but now – now she was suicidal.

So when she started egging the dragon on, Charlie's shouts were louder, more desperate (Hell if his sister-of-sorts was going to die on his watch). But she didn't hear them. She never did. She just relished the feeling of life and dove straight towards the dragon's flames, laughing as they singed the tip of her ponytail and burned her boots. Charlie and Nora screamed instructions at her, and this time she partially listened. There was work to be done, and life to be lived.

Katie screeched with laughter, and dove back in to the fire.


End file.
